I909-] Co-operation in Tenure of Small Holdings. 357 



the usual formal acknowledgment, and in one or two instances 

 only has the Society been asked for advice or assistance. 



This, however, has not been the case amongst small 

 holders themselves. At once on the passing of the Act, 

 demands began to come in from country districts where the 

 Agricultural Organisation Society had already obtained a 

 footing for help in forming land-holding societies which 

 could apply as a body to the County Council under the new 

 Act. 



By Michaelmas, 1908, within nine months of the Act 

 coming into force, 80 such societies had been duly registered. 

 At the present time the total number for England and Wales 

 has reached 98 in 27 different counties. 



The increase of work entailed by this new development 

 made great inroads on the resources of the Society. Without 

 an increase of staff it would have been impossible to respond 

 to the great demands put upon it by the increase of small hold- 

 ings. It was therefore decided to apply to the Board of Agri- 

 culture for a grant under Section 39, Sub-section 4, of the 1907 

 Act, which gives power to assist societies having as one of 

 their objects the promotion of co-operation. This request was 

 finally granted, and the Board decided to allow the Society an 

 annual grant equal in amount to that of the subscriptions 

 raised in each year by the Society itself, provided that this sum 

 reached a minimum of ^1,200 — the amount received for the 

 year 1907-8. Every pound, therefore, privately subscribed 

 to the Agricultural Organisation Society brings in another 

 pound from the Board of Agriculture for the furtherance 

 of the work of co-operation amongst small holders. Three 

 special organisers have recently been appointed by the Society 

 and have already taken up the work of visiting all districts 

 from which demands for help come. 



Having now given the general outline of the position of 

 affairs at the present time, I propose to proceed to a more 

 detailed description of the methods advocated by the Agricul- 

 tural Organisation Society in co-operative land-holding. 

 This may perhaps best be done by giving some extracts from 

 the leaflet issued by the Society, in which they advocate that 

 in preference to letting land direct to small holders, County 

 Councils should let to groups of persons, organised into 



