FABIAN TRACT No. I34· 

r. 
~SMALL HOLDINGS, ALLOTMENTS, AND 
COMMON PASTURES: 


And How to Get Then1 by the Act of 1907. 

WHAT is the use of an allotment to a working man? It has many 

uses. In the first place, if he puts good labor into it, and if he keeps 

a pig to eat some of the produce and to · supply manure, an acre 

allotment is worth three or four shillings a week to him, and often 

more. 

Secondly, he is always sure of having a g{)od supply of vegetables 
.and potatoes for his family. 
When he is out of work, too, he can spend some of the time that 
would otherwise be wastec!, in improving his own piece of land. 

Allotments make the laborers more independent when they 

have to deal with the farmers and landlords. Undoubtec!!y one of 

the chief things needed at the present time is an independent and 

sturdy spirit amongst the farm laborers. In our midland and 

southern villages they suffer constantly from low wages and harsh 

treatment, but the majority of them dare not say a single outspoken

word to help to make things better. They take whatever wages are 

offered them and they put up with every tyranny without protest.

Why is this? Chiefly because they depend on others for work and 

food, and seldom have any Trade Union to look after their interests. 

But if a laborer has a sack or two of flour in his cottage, and a couple 

of go0d sides of bacon, and a stock of potatoes to tide him over the 

winter, he does not feel nearly so helpless and humble. And an 

allotment can provide him with these things. 

How to make an Allotment Profitable. 
But allotments are not found to succeed everywhere and always. 
Certain things are necessary before they are likely to be of real use 
The allotment must be 

NB:AR THE LABORER's owN HoME. 

It is absurd to expect a man to walk out a mile or so and walk back 
again, after he has done a heavy day's work, in order to spend an 
hour on his allotmem. And as an allotment always requires constant 
care and attention if it is to give the best results, it is absolutely 
necessary that it should be near the worker's home. 

A FAIR RE:-IT. 
Often the laborers grow such good crops on their allotments and 
make them pay so well that the landlord takes the opportunity to 
charge them a much higher rent than he asks the farmer for the 
neighboring land of the same quality. Why should working men 


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~ay a pe!lalty for cultivating their land well? And why should they, "?ork hard 'C'tnd constantly in order that the landlord may get an 
xna -fent? The rent must certainly be a fair one. 

Small Holdings. 

It is not only the laborer who finds it profitable to work a plot of 
land if he can get it at a fair rent and on reasonable conditions. 
Working as he does chiefly in his spare time, the allotment is large 
enough for his needs. But there is an increasing demand for land 
for another class of agriculturists, the men who wish to devote their 
whole time to a farm, the men who want a small holding up to 
fifty acres. Here, again, it is not always possible to bargain with 
t!:e landlords for suitable farms at a fair price or on fair terms that 
will protect the tenant against loss of his improvements at the end 
of the tenancy. 

Common Pasture. 
There is another kind of land which is urgently needed by both 
laborers and small holders. In the olden days, before Englishmenallowed their land to be seized by a few landlords under the 
Enclosure Acts, there were many large commons, whereon the 
villagers had the right to feed their cattle and pigs. Many a 
cottager or small farmer would more easily be able to keep his cows, 
or his horse, or pigs, if he had a right to use ample common pasture.
It is the loss of the old rights of grazing animals and gathering fuel 
on the common lands of the village which has done so much to 
put the people at the mercy of the landlords. 

How to Get Allotments, Small Holdings, and Common 
Pasture. 

Now the law of England says that it is the duty of local government 
councils to provide all these things-allotments, small holdings, 
and common pastures-if the people desire them, and cannot 
otherwise obtain them from the landlords on reasonable terms. 

ALLOTMENTS. 

In the case of allotments it is the business of the BoroughCol neil, the Urban District Council, or the Parish Council (or the 
Pari·.h Meeting in parishes where there is no Parish Council) to find 
che ·and for those who wish to work it. These Councils may purr,
ha~e or hire land either by a voluntary agreement with the landlord 
or, if he refuses to come to reasonable term~, the Council can 
ask the Board of Agriculture to make an order compelling the landlord 
to accept the terms, which are to be settled by an arbitrator 
appointed by the Board; and this arbitrator must not add to the 
price because of the compulsion. However, if the land is only to be 
leased, then the lease must be for not less than fourteen or for 
mort: than thirty-five years ; but this term can be renewed at the 
will of the Council. In the case of a Parish. the Council or 
Meeting, instead of proceeding itself, must ask the County Council 
to apply for the compulsory order; it hands over the land, when 
acquired, to the Parish, which must pay all expenses. If the CountyCouncil will not mo,·e, the Parish can appeal to the Board dire( t. 


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Having acquired the land, the Council can adapt it for use (by draining, 
fencing, road making, erecting buildings, including a dwelling 
house if accompanied by one acre), and let it out in allotments not 
exceeding five acres to any one of the laboring population, or to a 
group of persons working as a co-operative colony 1or to an association 
for the promotion of allotments. The rent must be sufficient 
to repay all the money that the Council has spent on the land, so 
that no charge shall ultimately fall on the rates; but a Council may 
levy a rate or raise a loan to meet the expenses in the first instance. 
So long as it repays the expenses, the Council can let as cheaply and 
on as favorable terms as it pleases. And the tenant in every case 
::an remove any fruit trees or bushes to which he has no claim for 
compensation on giving up the tenancy.

If a Council neglect to consider these matters, any six registered 
parliamentary electors or resident ratepayers can request (in 
writing) the Council to discuss the need of the neighborhood. 
Although these petiti:mers cannot force the Council to return a 
favorable answer to a request for land, this petition is a useful step 
to take, as it forces the Council to state its intentions. 

If the Councils mentioned above refuse to take action in providing 
allotments, then it becomes the duty of the County Council 
to consider the situation (except in the case of a borough), and if it 
resolves that there is really need for allotments, then it (the CountyCouncil) at once takes over all the allotment powers of the Council 
which has neglected to take action. The County Council can 
acquire the allotments, and charge all the expenses on the defaulting 
COlineil. 

If the County Council also neglects its duty, the Board of Agriculture 
can transfer all the above powers of a County Council to the 
Small Holdings Commissioners, who can then take all the steps 
which the County Council might have taken. 

SMALL HoLDINGS. 

It is the business of the County Council to find out whether 

there is a demand for small holdings ; and it can acquire land for 

this pu:-pose in practically the same manner as land can be acquired 

for allotments as stated above. That is, it can acquire it by pur


chase or by hiring, by compulsion if necessary, and can adapt the 

land for use as small holdings. The chief difference is that it can 

let or sell the land in plots of any size between one and fifty acres, 

or more than fifty acres if the annual value is not more than £so as 

assessed for income tax. Further, the Council must not charge the 

county rates in any year with more than one penny in the pound 

on account of any expenses incurred for small holdings, including 

the annual repayments of any loans raised for such a purpose. If 

the holder desires to purchase his holding he can do so by half-yearly 

instalments over a period, agreed on by the Council, not exceeding 

fifty years. 

And if the County Council will not proceed to supply small 

holdings then the Board of Agriculture (as in the case of allotments 

can instruct the Small Holdings Commissioners to acquire the Ian 

and charge all expenses on the County Council. 


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CoMMON PASTURE. 
This can be acquired by any Council which is empowered tb 
acquire allotments and small holdings, and can be rented out to 
tenants or any laborers in the form of grazing rights. But it is 
necessary to get the sanction of the County Council before anyother Council can take action in this way. 

Co-operation. 
But the County Council can do much more than provide the 
land necessary for allotments and small holdings and common pasture. 
The experience of successful farming shows most clearly 
that one of the great secrets of success is the co-operation of farmers 
for the purposes of buying their implements and manure, etc., of 
turning their milk into butter, and of sending their produce to 
market in the cheapest way. English farmers are very far behind 
the rest of the world in this respect ; nevertheless they have 
begun to move slowly, and co-operative societies are growing in 
number. A County Council or the Board of Agriculture can make 
grants or loans of money for the promotion of co-operation between 
small holders or allotment workers. 

What all these Powers Mean. 

Simply this : that if the people elect the right men to the local 
Councils they can get allotments and small holdings on the best 
terms and ready for immediate use. The Councils can, further, byforming co-operative societies, help the tenants to buy and sell to 
much greater advantage than if each worker of land had to buy 
what he wants and to sell his produce on his own account. If the 
people of England want allotments and small holdings they can have 
them at once if they use their voting power on polling days . 

• -\nd remember, if the local Councils refuse to find the land that 
is wanted, then the Government can force the Councils to act, or 
can buy the land itself. The Government has already appointed 
two Commissioners to inquire into the demand for land throughout 
England and Wales. The truth is the people can force the Government 
to do whatever they wish if they send the right men to 
Parliament, and the easiest way to get the Government to attend i~ 
to write to your Member of Parliament. But if the voters put men 
on the Parish, Urban and County Councils, or in Parliament, simplybecause of their wealth and position and without their ha\·ing shown 
genuine good-will towards the people, they are certain not to getwhat they want. The working men can elect anyone they choose, 
for they are in the majority. Let them, therefore, make up their 
minds firmly beforehand whom they wish to have as Councillors, 
and, when the election comes, Jet them support their candidates 
loyally through thick and thin. 

Price, 6 for rd.: Is. per roo: Ss. 6d. per r,ooo. 
Fabian Tract No. 62, "Parish and District Councils: what they are and what they 
can do," !d. ; Leaflet No. 63, "Parish Council Cottages," 6 for rd. 
For copies of these and list of other Fabian Tracts and Leaflets, write to the 
Fabian Society. 3 Clement's Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 

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Printed by G. Standring, 7 & 9 Finsbury Street, London, E.C., November. 1907.