364 Co-operation in Tenure of Small Holdings, [aug., 



greater pressure can be brought to bear on any defaulter by 

 his fellow-members, who are to suffer for his shortcomings, 

 than could be exercised by any officer of the Council. 

 Thirdly, should a holding be thrown up, it will come on to 

 the hands of the society and not on to the County Council. 

 The former, therefore, will see to it that the land is taken up 

 amongst themselves should no suitable new-comer be forth- 

 coming. Amongst the societies already registered it is note- 

 worthy that the names of a number of those who applied for 

 membership in the first instance, before the sense of respon- 

 sibility was realised, do not appear in the final list. 



Again, to take the case of a satisfactory tenant in financial 

 difficulties arising through no fault of his own, experience 

 has proved in the case of co-operative societies that assistance 

 is forthcoming from his fellow-co-operators to tide him over 

 temporary embarrassments. 



Lastly, the immense advantages of the organisations I have 

 been describing, whether it be in the preliminary acquisition 

 of land or in its subsequent division and tenure, have been 

 very greatly appreciated wherever the system has been tried. 

 Testimony is forthcoming, not only from the co-operators, 

 but from those engaged in administering the Act, of the com- 

 parative ease with which the countless difficulties are 

 smoothed over, and how the ultimate satisfaction of all parties 

 is reached whenever the men work together as a body. 



At the risk of repetition, I would urge that, as it is admitted 

 that the success of the small-holdings movement depends on 

 co-operation, no pains should be spared to see that the co- 

 operative idea is at the root of every scheme for the further 

 extension of such holdings. 



It is to be hoped, therefore, that County Councils will not 

 only make earnest endeavours to supply those societies 

 already registered with the land for which they are waiting, 

 but that they will show increased activity in encouraging 

 their individual applicants to avail themselves of the prof- 

 fered help towards organisation. 



