Contemporary  Agricultural  Law. 
141 
extension  of  the  provision  of  small  holdings,  and  by  the 
adoption  of  any  other  means  which  appear  calculated  to 
develop  agriculture  and  rural  industries  ; (&)  forestry 
(including  (i.)  the  conducting  of  inquiries,  experiments,  and 
research  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  forestry  and  the  teaching 
of  methods  of  afforestation  ; (ii.)  the  purchase  and  planting 
of  land  found  after  inquiry  to  be  suitable  for  afforestation)  ; 
(c)  the  reclamation  and  drainage  of  land  ; (d)  the  general 
improvement  of  rural  transport  (including  the  making  of  light 
railways,  but  not  including  the  construction  or  improvement  of 
roads).  For  the  purposes  of  the  Act  five  Development  Com- 
missioners are  to  be  appointed  (sec.  3),  and  every  application 
for  an  advance  under  this  part  of  the  Act  must  be  sent  by  the 
Treasury  to  the  Government  department  concerned,  to  be  by 
them  referred,  together  with  their  report  thereon,  to  the  Develop- 
ment Commissioners  (sec.  4).  The  department,  body,  or  persons 
to  whom  an  advance  is  made  for  any  purpose  involving  the 
acquisition  of  land,  may  acquire  and  hold  land  for  the  purpose, 
and  if  unable  to  acquire  by  agreement  on  reasonable  terms, 
may  apply  to  the  Commissioners  for  an  order  empowering  them 
to  acquire  the  land  compulsorily,  but  no  land  may  be  authorised 
to  be  acquired  compulsorily  which  forms  part  of  any  park, 
garden,  or  pleasure  ground,  or  forms  part  of  the  home  farm 
attached  to  or  usually  occupied  with  a mansion  house  or  is 
otherwise  required  for  the  amenity  or  convenience  of  any 
dwelling-house.  The  Commissioners,  in  making  an  order  for 
the  compulsory  purchase  of  land,  must  have  regard  to  the 
extent  of  land  occupied  in  the  locality  by  any  owner  or  tenant, 
and  to  the  convenience  of  other  property  belonging  to  or 
occupied  by  the  same  owner  or  tenant,  and  must,  so  far  as 
possible,  avoid  taking  an  undue  quantity  of  land  from  any  one 
owner  or  tenant,  or  displacing  any  considerable  number  of 
agricultural  labourers  or  others  employed  on  the  land  ; (sec.  5). 
Disputed  compensation  on  the  purchase  of  land  in  England  will 
be  assessed  by  a single  arbitrator,  appointed  by  the  Lord  Chief 
Justice,  and  the  Act  does  not  contain  the  provision  already 
noticed  which  appears  in  the  Housing  Town  Planning,  &c..  Act, 
and  which  prevents  a court  of  law  from  questioning  the 
validity  of  an  order  for  compulsory  acquisition.  The  expression 
“ agriculture  and  rural  industries  ” in  this  part  of  the  Act 
includes  “ agriculture,  horticulture,  dairying,  the  breeding  of 
horses,  cattle,  and  other  live  stock  and  poultry,  the  cultivation 
of  bees,  home  and  cottage  industries,  the  cultivation  and 
preparation  of  flax,  the  cultivation  and  manufacture  of  tobacco, 
and  any  industries  immediately  connected  with  and  subservient 
to  any  of  the  said  matters  ” (sec.  6).  Part  II.  of  the  same  Act 
constitutes  a Road  Board,  empowered  to  make  advances  to 
