544 Official Circulars and Notices. [oct., 



generally as the estate agent of the Council for all the land acquired by them under 

 the Acts. 



Acqttisition of Land by Agreement. — When the Council are satisfied that there are 

 suitable applicants, it will be necessary for them to consider how they should proceed 

 to obtain the land to satisfy their demands. For this purpose a look-out should 

 be kept for any forthcoming sales of property in the county. It may be desirable 

 to ascertain from the local landowners whether they are willing to offer to the 

 Council any farms which may become vacant, and inquiry might also be made as 

 to the possibility of purchasing or hiring some of the glebe lands attached to 

 benefices. Land may be acquired either within or without the county. In con- 

 sidering the question of acquiring any particular land, the Council will have to decide 

 whether the land should be purchased or hired, and, in cases where any considerable 

 amount will have to be spent on equipment, there are obvious advantages in the 

 purchase rather than the hiring of land, in order to avoid the difficult question of 

 compensation for improvements, as between the Council and the landlord, at the 

 termination of a lease which may not be renewed, and the necessity of imposing high 

 rents to cover the replacement, in a comparatively short period, of money spent on 

 improvements. 



It will also be necessary for the Council to decide whether they propose to acquire 

 the land under a scheme or not. It is open to a Council to proceed without a 

 scheme, but if this course is adopted no claim can be made by the Council for any 

 repayment out of the Small Holdings Account towards any loss which may be 

 incurred. If it is decided to proceed under a scheme, a contract for the purchase or 

 hiring of the land, conditional if possible, on the approval of the scheme, should be 

 entered into, and a report should be prepared by the Small Holdings Committee 

 containing the following information : — 



(1) The situation and quantity of the land to be acquired and the proposed 



purchase price or rent. 



(2) The maximum amount to be expended on adaptation and equipment, with 



particulars of the work proposed, but not, in the first instance, plans or 

 specifications. 



(3) The manner in which the land is proposed to be sub-divided. 



(4) The purchase price or rent proposed to be charged for each holding. 



The report should also state whether the Council are satisfied that there are 

 suitable applicants ready to take the land at a sufficient price or rent to recoup the 

 Council for the outlay proposed, and an Ordnance Map, or a tracing therefrom, should 

 be prepared showing the holdings into which the land is proposed to be divided. 



The report and plan should then be sent to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 for their provisional sanction, and when this has been given the proposed scheme 

 must be advertised in accordance with sec. 4 of the Act of 1907. For this purpose it 

 will be sufficient if a notice in the following form is inserted in one or more of the 

 local newspapers circulating in the county or borough : — 



Small Holdings Acts, 1892 and 1907. 

 Notice , is hereby given that a draft scheme has been prepared by the 



^ ., r ... on lease 



Council for the acquisition , , of 



^ by purchase 



for small holdings. Information as to the contents of the draft scheme can be 



obtained from the Clerk of the Council. Any objection to the draft scheme is to 



be sent in writing to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries within one week 



from the date of the publication of this Notice. 



If no objections are received the Board will then proceed to confirm the scheme, 

 and the Council will be able to complete the contract. 



If it is desired to purchase land at a sale by auction the Council should obtain a 

 report and valuation of the land, a copy of which should be sent to the Board. If the 



