280 



Small Holdings on Crown Lands, [august, 



sale interference is proposed with existing Crown tenants 

 who are farming their land well, and it is hoped that sufficient 

 land for the above purposes can gradually be obtained owing 

 to natural vacancies or by friendly agreement. 



In furtherance of the policy proposed to be adopted, steps 

 have been taken to make known the desire to meet bona fide 

 demands for small holdings and allotments in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Crown estates, so far as may be reasonably practi- 

 cable, and the following circular letter was issued to the 

 chairman of each county, district, and parish council in whose 

 districts the agricultural property of the Crown is situated : — 



Allotments and Small Holdings. 



Office of Woods, &c. , 



i, Whitehall Place, S.W., 

 30th April, 1907. 



Sir, 



Lord Carrington, as Commissioner of Woods and Forests, directs me to ask 

 you to kindly make enquiries and inform me of any demand there may be for 

 allotments or small holdings in your locality. 



Lord Carrington will be glad, should there be a genuine demand, to endeavour to 

 arrange, if it can be done without undue disturbance to sitting tenants, to utilise 

 portions of the Crown lands in the district of your council that may be found to be 

 suitable, for the purpose of allotments and small holdings, and your kind 

 co-operation in the matter will be appreciated. 



I shall be obliged if you will be good enough to bring this matter before your 

 council, and let me hear from you at an early date. 



It will be of service if information concerning applicants can be supplied on the 

 accompanying forms. 



I am, Sir, your Obedient Servant, 



(Signed) Fredk. Hellard. 



To the Chairman. 



As a result of the issue of this circular, and in consequence 

 of the public attention which has been called to the. matter, 

 a very large number of applications for small holdings has 

 been received from most of the districts where Crown land 

 is situated. Whenever the applicants have, 'prima facie, 

 seemed to be worth consideration, they have been asked to 

 fill up a form giving the particulars of their experience and 

 the amount of capital, if any, which they have at their disposal, 

 and it is clear that there are a very large number of men who 

 seem likely to make excellent small holders among those 

 who have sent in applications for land. 



The extent of the demand is indicated by the fact that, 

 leaving out of consideration the numerous applications from 



