Cotfcujes  and  Rural  I )ej)Oj\idation. 
127 
“ II. — By  loans  at  a low  rate  of  interest. 
“III. — By  an  adjustment  of  rent  in  proportion  to  the  character  and 
amount  of  accommodation  affonled. 
“ IV. — By  the  attachment  of  larger  gardens  than  are  now  u.sual,  to  cottages 
where  such  a course  is  practicable.” 
These  conclusions  also  seem  to  he  worthy  of  attention,  and 
the  reduction  of  cost  hy  the  adoption  of  suitable  plans  is  the 
main  object  of  this  article. 
The  recent  lleport  on  Kural  Depopulation  by  a ( ’ommittee 
ap})ointed  b}’  the  ( Central  (Chamber  of  Agriculture  also  comments 
upon  the  condition  of  cottages.  The  (Committee  were  of  opinion 
that  “ (Jottages  with  better  accommodation  and  gardens,  or 
allotments,  where  necessary,  . . . would  tend  to  increase  the 
number  of  .skilled  labourers,  to  retain  on  the  land  the  brighter 
and  more  active  young  men  of  labouring  families,  and  to  keep 
up  an  adetpiate  su})ply  of  the  best  type  of  labour  for  the  large 
farms.”  They  also  thought  “that  it  would  be  of  advantage  to 
the  whole  country,  as  well  as  to  the  districts  directly  concerned, 
if  loans  from  Imperial  sources  were  obtainable  by  landowners 
and  others  on  most  favourable  terms  for  the  equipment  of  small 
holdings  and  the  provision  of  cottages.”  ' 
Mr.  A.  Wilson  Fo.\,  C.B.,  who  has  been  as.sociated  with 
several  Commissions  of  Imjuiry  on  agricultural  subjects,  made 
copious  references  to  the  cottage  que.stion  in  an  interesting- 
paper  read  before  the  kStatistical  Society  on  April  21,  1903. 
I will  only  (jiiote  the  following  passage,  which  makes  a forcible 
contrast  between  the  bad  and  the  good  type  of  cottage  : — 
“ The  contrast  between  the  classes  of  cottages  often  in  the  same  parish  is 
extraordinary.  In  the  old  type  of  cottage  there  is  often  overcrowding  in  the 
slee[)ing  rooms,  low  ceilings,  small  windows,  ricketty  stairs  ; while  down  stairs 
the  living  room  is  often  a small  kitchen  possessing  no  back  <loor,  where  the 
cooking  and  washing  have  to  be  done.  The  discomfort  in  case  of  illness  in  such 
places  can  be  imaginetl.  Add  to  this,  dami)ness  on  the  ground  floor,  general 
want  of  repair,  little  or  no  garden,  no  proper  outhouse  or  sanitary  arrangements, 
and  water  to  be  fetched  from  some  ilistance,  and  occasionally  nothing  but  pond 
water  to  be  obtained,  and  you  get  some_  of  the  influences  which  make  the 
agricultural  labourer  not  disinclined  to  move  elsewhere  when  he  gets  the  chance. 
In  the  new  type  of  cottage  there  are  often  three  bedrooms,  a kitchen,  and 
scullery  or  pantry  ; also  a parlour,  good  outhouses,  including  a washhouse  with 
a copper,  or  a bakehouse,  and  a garden  and  pig-sty.  This  class  of  cottage  is 
not  merely  a dwelling,  but  a home.  Health,  decency,  cleaidiness,  and  comfort 
can  be  obtained  ; the  wife  neeil  not  be  a slut,  nor  the  husband  a druidcard,  nor 
the  children  little  ‘ hooligans.’  ” 
These  extracts  are  sufficient  to  show  that,  in  the  minds  of 
experts,  bad  dwellings  furnish  at  least  one  reason  out  of  others 
(some  of  which  no  doubt  are  equally  or  even  more  weighty), 
* Proceedings,  Central  Chamber  of  Agriculture,  Vol.  3,  1903,  page  122. 
■-  Journal,  Iloyal  Statistical  Society,  Vol.  LXVl.,  Part  II.,  1903,  page  305. 
