1909.] Co-operation in Tenure of Small Holdings. 359 



these specifies that one of the objects of the Society shall 

 be: — 



To carry on the business of creating and promoting the creation of 

 small holding's or allotments, and encouraging their proper cultivation, 

 with power to acquire land from local authorities acting under the 

 provisions of any Act for the time being in force relating to small 

 holdings or allotments or from any other person or body ; to adapt any 

 land so acquired for small holdings or allotments by the erection of 

 dwelling-houses or other buildings and the execution of any other 

 improvement, and to let the land to members of the Society to be 

 cultivated by them as small holdings or allotments. 



The other rule inserted by the Board provides for the keep- 

 ing of separate accounts for small holdings and allotments 

 business, and lays down what are the purposes to which all 

 money received for land may be devoted. The object of this 

 rule is to ensure that the accounts in respect of small holdings 

 shall be kept distinct from the accounts in respect of trading 

 when the society is engaged in both branches of co-operative 

 work. 



On one other point the Board of Agriculture have insisted 

 on certain conditions, and that is on the question of the scale 

 upon which the share capital of the society should be raised. 

 These conditions are that either (1) the total share capital of 

 the society, called and uncalled, should be equal to three 

 years' rent of the land occupied, or (2) that the society should 

 pay six months' rent in advance, and its uncalled share capital 

 should be equal to a further eighteen months' rent. 



These conditions appeared somewhat stringent at the time 

 they were laid down. As, however, those societies which 

 have already acquired land have complied with them without 

 difficulty, and a very large number of societies have adopted 

 them in their rules, it seems as if they did not act as a deter- 

 rent. In the few cases where objections were raised it was 

 found that these arose from a misunderstanding of the condi- 

 tions. The attitude taken up by the Board of Agriculture on 

 this question is to advise County Councils that, where the rules 

 of a society are in accordance with the Board's regulations as 

 to share capital, the Council need not make detailed inquiries 

 into the capital of individual applicants, but should leave such 

 matters in the hands of the society, who are, as a whole, re- 

 sponsible for the rent. The Board consider, however, that 



