§ 42. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked whether any county councils, other than the Cheshire County Council, have constituted small holdings on the colony system; whether this system is developing; and whether the Board, through the Small Holdings Commissioners, advise its adoption by county councils wherever practicable?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANSeveral county councils besides Cheshire have acquired large estates for the purpose of small holdings and may therefore be said to have established small holdings on the colony system. The Board are certainly in favour of the purchase of land in large blocks whenever possible, and county councils are usually of the same opinion. But, owing to the fact that applicants for small holdings are often not in a position to move from their present homes, it is not possible to satisfy the whole of the demand by means of the establishment of colonies.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTCould the right hon. Gentleman give in a written answer the county councils other than the Cheshire County Council which have adopted the system?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes. If the hon. Gentleman will put down an unstarred question I will arrange to have full information circulated with the Votes.
§ 43. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked whether, in consequence of the bad harvest season and floods of last year, any applications have, to the knowledge of the Board, been made to county councils by statutory small holders for remissions of rent; and whether, in conformity with the practice of private landowners in the locality, such applications have been acceded to in any and, if any, which counties, and at whose expense have such remissions been made?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNo official communications on the subject have been made to the Board, but I understand that in some cases county councils have received applications from small holders for remission of rents in consequence of the losses caused by floods last year. If a remission is made, the deficiency falls upon the small holdings account of the council, and, if that account cannot meet the deficiency, the Board may pay one-half of the loss in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Treasury Minute of the 31st December, 1907, a copy of which I shall be pleased to send to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTHave any applications been made for half to be paid out of the small holdings accounts of the Board?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI do not think that any applications have actually been received, but I understand that one or two are coming forward.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEIs not the difficulty of the small holders more due to high rents and rates?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNo. The difficulty is entirely due to a flood which destroyed the whole of their produce.