The times., 1898-09-12
FARMS IN LONDON.
Legislation Wanted to Lease Land
for Agriculture.
From the Pail Nall Gazette-)

From the Pail Mall GaZette)
For five years in succession the county
council has unsuccessfuily attempted TO
get a bill passed through Parliament, to
be called the Allotmsn.s 0Ondon) act
The Earl of Darlington has had charge
of the measure in the House of Lords.
and the noble earl has stuck to his guns
in spite of opposition. but 1t has never
got any further. In consequence of de-
bates on foreign policy and the vaccina-
ton act. the dropping Of this important
bill excited very little attention at the
time Strange as it may appear, the
London county council stands in worse
position than any her county council
in the kingdom with regard 10 the ques-
tion of allotments. The Allotments act
does not apply TO London; the county
council therefore, can only proceed un-
der the Small Holdings act of 1892 Tn
der this act the council is empowered 70
purchase or lease land for small allOt-
ments These allotments are to exceed
one. but not to exceed fifty, acres in area,
or If they exceed fifty acres they are to
be of the annual value. for the purpose
of income tax, not exceeding ESQ The
council may assist tenants to purchase
their holdings by advancing part OF the
purchase money, which must not exceed
four-ffths. and the council is 10 fix i
rent which will guard against loss. There
is a growing demand for small allotments
in London, and the council has found the
Small Holdings act a cumbersome and
expensive method OF dealing with ten
ants. In London one principally asks for
small pIots-say twenty perches-which
can be cultivated effectively by a work
ingman in his leisure time in the even
ing and on Saturday afternoons; and, as
the council can only let a plot exceed
ing one acre they cannot deal directly
with this class of tenants. Thus two
acres would have To be let or leased to
one tenant and he would have 10 sub
! let the land TO sixteen tenants IL each of
/ them wanted a plot OF twenty perches.
| The system of subletting has its
! abuses. which the council now seeks to
| eliminate. The restrictions of which COM
plant is made would undoubtedly have
/ been removed If the bill which Lord Car
rington introduced into the House OF
! Lords had become law The bill propos-
/ ed also to empower the council 10 pur-
/ chase or hire land both within and with
| out the county. for the purpose of allOt-
ments and to improve the land by drain
ing. the making Of roads. and in other
ways. Another important provision was
| that no allotment should exceed one acre
| In extent and no person should be per-
| mitted to hold any allotments which to-
| gether exceeded one acre. or sublet any
| allotment. or any part of it. II was also
| proposed to give the council power TO
| sell any land which was no longer need
| ed for allotments. or to exchange it for
other land more suitable for the purpose.
| The bill WILL IL is understood, be rein
| troduced next year.
The county council does not Of course
! let aIlotments with the view of making
| profit out of them, but for the purpose
! of providing a pleasant. useful and prof
| liable occupation for the artisan classes
! living in the large suburban districts to
whom the pursuits OF gardening are a
never-ending source of delight Were it
| not for the initial expense of draining
and fencing the land and making roads.
| the allotments would be profitable in a
financial sense. and when the capital
| charges have been cleared off. then the
| revenue will exceed the expenditure. Dur
! ing the past year the working of the
| councils allotments at Millmeads CWest
HAM and East Ham, and the small hold
| ings held on lease (which expire in
1901-1-2-3) at Catford. Plumstead. West
Norwood and Shooters Hill Road, has
| been satisfactory in all respects The
! council has altogether eighty-one acres
| of land let out in allotment 10 6i9 culti-
vators, and the rent-roll for the year
amounted to e35S lis. 10d., which gives
| an average of "a Is. per acre. This is
certainly a low price. wnen one considers
that the price of good agricultural land
| in favorable situations is often G12 tC
| Is per acre. A tenant who has had a
little plot of twenty perches to cultivate
has only los. Sd. per annum to pay for II