SgS Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, [jan., 



tion of the committee, and, in particular, whether it provides for the co-optation of 

 non-members of the Council on the committee. 



The Board would also point out that Section 36 of the Act authorises the delega- 

 tion to the Committee of all the powers of a County Council under the Acts except the 

 power of raising a rate or of borrowing money, and I am to say that the Board are of 

 opinion that with a view of avoiding all unnecessary delay it is desirable that the 

 Small Holdings Committee should be authorised by your Council to conduct all the 

 correspondence relating to the Act and to carry out inquiries &c. without the necessity 

 of having to refer each point to the next quarterly meeting of the Council. 



The Board are advised that Section 36, so far as it requires the appointment of a 

 Committee and authorises the delegation of powers to such a Committee, applies to 

 the Councils of County Boroughs as well as to County Councils, but to avoid any 

 question as to the powers of the Committee it is desirable that they should be 

 appointed allotment managers under Section 6 of the Allotments Act, 1887. 



The financial assistance which the Board are authorised to give County Councils in 

 connection with their operations under the Act falls under two heads. By Section 5 (4) 

 of the Act the Board are authorised to pay or undertake to pay out of the Small 

 Holdings Account the whole or any part of the loss which results from the carrying 

 out of any scheme under the Act, and during the progress of the Bill through Parlia- 

 ment a pledge was given that a Treasury Minute should be issued stating that the 

 Board would be prepared to pay one half of any irrecoverable loss which was incurred 

 in connection with a scheme carried out by a County Council, provided that the 

 Board were satisfied that the Council had acted reasonably and had taken due 

 precautions. The Board are now in communication with the Treasury as to the form 

 of the Minute and they hope that it may be possible to issue it to County Councils 

 very shortly, but in the meantime I am desired to point out that Section 5 (4) only 

 applies to losses under a scheme, and that, therefore, although County Councils are 

 fully at liberty to take whatever steps may seem to them desirable to provide small 

 holdings, and are not compelled to proceed by means of a scheme in every case, yet 

 it will probably be found prudent, at least in cases where there appears to be some 

 financial risk, to provide the small holdings under a scheme in accordance with 

 Section 3 and 4 of the Act, in order that, in the event of a loss, the Council may be 

 in a position to receive the assistance which the Board can give under Section 5 (4). 



The other provision for assistance from the Small Holdings Account is contained 

 in Section 17 of the Act, whereby the Board are authorised to repay or undertake to 

 repay, the whole or any part of the expenses incurred by a county council in pro- 

 ceedings, in relation to the acquisition of land for small holdings. Such expenses 

 would ordinarily include the cost of the valuation and survey of any land proposed to 

 be acquired, the expenses of any local inquiry, the costs of registration of title and 

 other necessary legal expenses, and the Board are considering the issue of regulations 

 under the section laying down the conditions under which the assistance authorised 

 will be given. Your Council will of course not be entitled to look to the. Board for 

 repayment of any expenses incurred by them in connection with the management of 

 any small holdings which may be established, but the Acts contemplate the addition 

 to the rents or to the instalments for the purchase of the small holdings of a sufficient 

 amount to cover the cost of management, and a management fund might therefore 

 be set up out of which all such expenses would be defrayed. 



The Board believe that it will very much conduce to the satisfactory administra- 

 tion of the Act if a special officer of the Council is designated to deal with the 

 business arising under the Act. Such an officer could act as clerk to the Small 

 Holdings and Allotments Committee, and he might also be responsible for attending 

 and reporting the meetings of the local sub-committees and for making such inquiries 

 as the committee might direct into the suitability of the applicants for land and the 

 possibility of meeting their demands. In addition he could undertake the manage- 

 ment and supervision of the small holdings when established, and the collection of the 

 rents, and could act genei'ally as the estate agent of the Council for all the land 



