168 ADDENDA TO THE MINORITY REPORT 



The principle of the Public Utility Society has, 

 however, been reproduced in cognate bodies. For 

 example, in some places what is known as a Village 

 Society is responsible for organisation. The secret 

 of success is invariably to make the villagers inter- 

 ested in their own institutions. They must be encour- 

 aged to support them financially and to help in their 

 management. These conditions are absolutely indis- 

 pensable. It is a great mistake to suppose that a 

 village hall, entirely supported and managed by a 

 philanthropist, has such a popular place in the estima- 

 tion of the people as a hall which they themselves 

 assist in controlling, for the building of which they 

 have collected money, and for some of the advantages 

 of which they pay small subscriptions. 



In every large village and every group of small 

 villages there ought to be a pubUc hall and library 

 and a recreation ground. Compulsory powers of land 

 purchase would be necessary. We think the purchasing 

 body ought to be the County Council, which would let 

 the land and the buildings to the PubHc Utility or 

 Village Society. But not all the cost of purchase and 

 building should fall on the rates. Before the County 

 Council consented to a scheme it should insist on the 

 Public Utility or Village Society proving its good faith 

 by supplying a fixed proportion of the cost. 



(Signed) Geo. H. Roberts. 

 Leslie Scott. 

 December 1916. EDWARD G. Strutt. 



Printed hy Mmell, WcUson 4s Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury, England. 



