§ MR. COBB (Warwick, S.E., Rugby)asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether the Tenterden Town Council, as the Sanitary Authority, after receiving an application for allotments from a number of ratepayers, issued handbills inviting from landowners offers of lands suitable for allotments, to be sent in by a given date, and received no offer from any landowner; whether, on the 21st of February, the Town Clerk wrote to the applicants for allotments, saying that, not having received any offers of land suitable for allotments, the Sanitary Authority were unable to carry out the provisions of the Act; whether the present allotment holders near Tenterden are paying a rent of £12 an acre; and, whether the Local Government Board will represent to the Town Clerk of Tenterden that the fact of the Sanitary Authority not having 573 received offers of land from landowners does not justify them in refusing to carry out the provisions of the Act.
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. RITCHIE) (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)I have made inquiry into the facts, and find that the Tenterden Town Council, having received a requisition under the Allotments Act, appointed a Committee to consider the matter and report. The Committee first issued public notices that they would attend at a place named to receive applications for allotments, and on that day applications were received from 32 persons. The Committee then issued public notices inviting offers of land suitable for allotments, with terms of letting. No offers of land were received up to the date mentioned in the notices; and the Town Council, on the 21st of February, informed Mr. Hatcher, who was acting for the applicants, that no offer having been obtained the Committee were unable to carry out the provisions of the Act any further at present. On the 25th February, the Town Council sent a Circular Letter to all owners of land in the vicinity of the town to the effect that, for the purpose of the Allotments Act, they would require about 15 acres of land within a short distance of the town, and inquiring whether they were willing to let land for the purpose. The Town Council are awaiting replies. There has, therefore, been no refusal by the Town Council to carry out the provisions of the Act.