486 Small Holdings, etc., Credit Societies, [sept., 



having been registered since the beginning of 1908. Most of 

 these societies were promoted by the Agricultural Organisa- 

 tion Society, Limited, and are auxiliary societies to Small 

 Holdings and. Allotment Societies. There are none in Scot- 

 land, but in Ireland societies of this nature are much more 

 numerous than in any other portion of the United Kingdom. 



Credit Banks. — A large number, probably many hundreds, 

 of the societies registered under the Industrial and Provident 

 Societies Acts, take power by their rules to carry on the 

 business of banking; but most of them, it is believed, only 

 carry on that business (if at all) to a very small extent and as 

 auxiliary to other businesses. Those which appear to have 

 been mainly engaged in the business of banking, at the close 

 of 1908, are given in the list of financial businesses in Part B. 

 of the Chief Registrar's Report for that year, and, so far as 

 can be traced, comprised a group of 34 societies. Only two 

 appear, by their names, to be in connection with land or 

 agriculture, and these are situated, one in the City of London 

 and one in Westminster; the latter is in connection with the 

 Agricultural Organisation Society, Limited. In societies 

 registered under these Acts the liability of the member is 

 limited to the amount of his shares. 



Land Societies. — This group comprises several old-estab- 

 lished societies under the Industrial and Provident Societies 

 Acts, which may be roughly described as societies for pur- 

 chasing and developing land for re-sale to the members; the 

 repayments being made to the society, and in some cases to 

 the original vendor, by instalments. The land thus acquired 

 is used principally for the erection of dwelling-houses, 

 although, in some cases, it appears to be used for agricultural 

 purposes, as small holdings and allotments. 



Small Holdings and Allotments Societies. — This group, 

 while composed mainly of societies formed to acquire land 

 at a rental from local authorities, &c, includes a small number 

 of older societies which have acquired land by purchase for 

 small holdings and allotments. 



At present in England and Wales 155 societies are estab- 

 lished for the purpose of providing small holdings and allot- 

 ments for their members. Of those registered at 31 December, 

 1908, 123 furnished returns of their operations, from which 



