1907.] Report of Small Holdings Committee. 597 



REPORT OF THE SMALL HOLDINGS COMMITTEE. 



In April, 1905, the President of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries, the Right Hon. Ailvvyn E. Fellowes, M.P., appointed 

 a Departmental Committee to enquire into the subject of Small 

 Holdings in Great Britain, and this Committee has now issued 

 its Report (Cd. 3,277, price 6d.).* The terms of the reference 

 to the Committee were " to enquire into the administration 

 and working of the Small Holdings Act, 1892 ; to examine the 

 various arrangements made by landowners in recent years for 

 the provision of smaller agricultural holdings ; and to report as 

 to the conditions under which such holdings are most likely to 

 be attended with success, and as to the measures which may 

 most advantageously be taken, either by legislation, co-operative 

 association, or otherwise, to secure the increase of their number." 



The Committee was constituted as follows : — The Right Hon 

 the Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G. (Chairman) ; the Right Hon. the 

 Earl Carrington, G.C.M.G. ; the Right Hon. Jesse CoUings, 

 M.P. ; Sir Ralph Anstruther, Bart. ; Major Patrick George 

 Craigie, C.B. (an Assistant Secretary to the Board of Agricul- 

 ture and Fisheries) ; Mr. Charles Bidwell ; Mr. William Brown ; 

 Mr. (now Sir) Francis Allston Channing, M.P. ; Mr. James Long ; 

 Mr. John William Willis-Bund; and Mr. Robert Armstrong 

 Yerburgh, M.P. Mr. Thomas H. Sutton, of the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries, acted as Secretary. On the appoint- 

 ment of Lord Carrington as President of the Board, he resigned 

 his position on the Committee, and appointed Mr. R. C. Munro 

 Ferguson. M.P., in his place. The Committee examined fifty- 

 eight witnesses, and also visited a number of existing small 

 holdings in different parts of Great Britain. 



The main Report is signed by all the members of tlje Com- 

 mittee, with the exception of Mr. Jesse Collings, M.P., though 

 Sir Ralph Anstruther, Mr. James Long, and Mr. R. C. Munro 

 Ferguson do so subject to certain reservations, while Sir Francis 

 Allston Channing presents a supplementary report. Mr. Jesse 

 Collings submits a separate report. 



The recommendations made by the Committee in the main 

 Report are divided into five heads, viz. : — (1) The direct pro- 



* The Minutes of Evidence are published separately, Cd. 3278. Piice 4s. 5d. 



