1150 



Deputation from Trade Union Congress. 



[Mar., 



imported wheat. Needless to say, the country at large would 

 accept neither, and consequently the Ministry's policy must 

 be to improve the standard of husbandry and so retard the 

 return to grass, while seeing that the grass itself was raised to 

 a high standard of feeding value. A campaign of practical 

 instruction, in which demonstration plots played a large part, 

 was in active operation. 



Land Settlement and Small Holdings. — Mr. Walker had 

 pointed out in connection with this question that the small 

 holdings were fewer in 1903 than they were in 1920, but small 

 holdings and small holders, too, were dependent upon economic 

 forces and thousands of small holdings which were situated in 

 the neighbourhood of towns in 1903 were to-day, in 1921, a part 

 of those towns, their very existence forgotten. So far as the 

 Government Land Settlement Scheme was concerned, it should 

 be remembered in fairness to those who had borne the burden of 

 the work, that down to 1919 the Ministry had very small powers 

 indeed. A short eighteen months ago the Land Settlement 

 (Facilities) Act cleared the road, and since then they had been 

 buying land, parcelling it out and putting up houses and farm 

 buildings. Their record in the face of building dimculties well 

 known to all present, was one of which there was no reason to 

 be ashamed. Already 12,431 men had been settled ; 16,373 addi- 

 tional applicants had been approved and were taking settlement, 

 and it was expected that there were 5,700 more to be settled, or 

 34.500 in all — in England and Wales. Of this very considerable 

 number, in the face of all the dimculties attending upon getting 

 work done, more than one-third were settled on holdings averag- 

 ing about 13 J acres per man. The equipment averaged about 

 £350 per settlement and the total area of land acquired for settle- 

 ment was 350 square miles. 



Continuing, he pointed out that there are two sides to the 

 small holding question, and both required careful consideration 

 by those who represent the worker. Small holdings in many 

 cases have dispossessed the farmer, and. with the farmer, those 

 who worked for him. While on a highly cultivated mixed farm 

 of, say, 400 acres, a dozen or fifteen men might be employed, 

 when that farm was taken, as in certain cases it had been neces- 

 sary to take it for small holdings, the workers, as well as the 

 farmer, were dispossessed. The ex-Service man was not only 

 granted a holding at a rent he can reasonably be expected to pay, 

 the cost of purchase or hire and equipment of land being paid 

 out of the Government grant of 20 millions, but he was entitled 



