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Cardiganshire Small Holdings.

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Cardiganshire Small Holdings. Administration of the Act Strong Divergence of Opinion. Some Plain Speaking at the County Committee. A quarterly meeting of the Cardiganshire -Small Holdings Committee was held at Aberayron on Thursday last, the chairman, Alderman E. J. Davies, of New Quay, pre- siding. The first business was to receive a sum- mary report, prepared by the County Land Agent, of the work done by the various sub- committees. Several members complained that the re- port had only been distributed that morning, and that they had not had time to consider. Sir Edward Pryse proposed that considera- tion of the report be deferred till the next meeting. This proposition was carried, an amend- ment, moved by Mr. Edward Jones, Ponter- wyd, and seconded by Mr. 'Wm. Evans, Cnwch Coch, that the report be considered that day, being lost. DAYS OF GRACE. The Committee was asked to consider the periods of credit to be given to the tenants for the half-yearly rents. Major Price Lewes suggested eighty days, Mr. Tom Parry, the county land agent-, said the Land Commissioners would not allow more than forty days. If that time was exceeded the Council would have to pay interest on the amounts due. Mr. Josiah Jones, Llandyssul, proposed that credit be given for thirty days, with ten days' grace, and if the rents are not then paid that legal proceedings be taken. Mr. D. J. Williams, Tregaron, said ii they passed thi" the County Council would be the worst landlord in Wales. They not only y raised the rent, but only gave one month's grace as well. Mr. Josiah Jones' proposition was carried. SIR EDWARD PRYSE'S PROPOSAL. A COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY. Sir Edward Pryse had given notice that he would call attention to the administration of the Small Holdings Act in Cardiganshire, and move a resolution. Sir Edward said he had been asked to move in the matter by a great number of people- some oa the Council and some not. He sug- gested that a small sub-committee be ap- pointed to enquire into the administration of the Act in the county, with authority to hold a public inquiry, w that anyone in- terested in the matter could give evidence. At present, it was rather difficult to find anyone wno knew how they steod either financially or otherwise. There were also various forms of procedure which the com- mittee might put right. At the County Council meeting that day a certain amount of confusion arose through the Finance Com- mittee of the County Council acting as the Finance Committee of the Small Holdings Committee. At present, they had on their hands Pencarreg, Cwmcynon, and Dolchenog. It would be interesting for the members to know exactly how they stood in regard to their property. The sub-committee might also consider the best means of giving greater publicity to the fact that would-be buyers of land could borrow four-fifths of the purchase money from the County Coun- cil. He did not think the people had thoroughly grasped that up to the present. He knew there was a great deal of grumb- ling going on, and it would clear the atmos- phere to have a public inquiry. He, there- fore, proposed that a sub-committee be ap- pointed to hold a public inquiry into the administration of the Act in the county, that the date, time and place "be advertised, and that any person interested and able to give information be asked to give evidence. Also that the sub-committee furnish a report and recommendations to the next quarterly meeting. Mr. R. S. Rowland. L/landdewi Brefi, said as chairman of the Tregaron sub-ccmmittee he felt they had been on the wrong track from the commencement. He knew person- ally as a result of his visits to Dolchenog that instead of creating small holdings they had been extending large holdings. The tenant who had had the top of Dolchenog could have been supplied from his father's farm, who had already a thousand acres, without trespassing on anybody else's land. Now it was impossible to come to a settle- ment. The members of the Council ought to know who were the applicants for land in each case. They got no names now. All they got was a scrip of paper stating how the farms had been let. They were not told to whom. Mr. Josiah Jones said something to the effect suggested by Sir Edward Pryse had already been done in the Newcastle Emlyn Union. All applicants were now required not only to fill up their forms, but they had to come before the committee to be ques- tioned and to ascertain their financial posi- tion. "ARTIFICIAL APPLICATIONS." Mr. Lima Jones said from what he had seen now and again in the press, it was very clear that the various sub-committees did not pull together. They were not working in harmony with the view of getting the full benefit of the Act. They could not disguise from themselves the fact that there was tLn. impression abroad that their land agent fostered artificial applications. He (Mr. Jones) did not say that himself; he did not believe it. But there was that impression abroad. To the best of his belief the fault lay at their own door. They had engaged Mr. Parry at a salarv of £ 60 a year. His time was fully occupied, if he did his duty, every day during the year, and how could they expect a man to do the work for 960? Then he was given fees. He did not say Mr. Parry did it, but there was a temptation, when they engaged a man who was abso- lutely dependent on fees, to encourage artificial application. in his opinion the first thing they ought to do was to recon- sider the engagement, and do away with the possibility of such applications being made. They should pay the Land Agent a substan- tial and fair salary, so that be would not be tempted to encourage or foster artificial ap- plications. A GREAT LANDLORD. Major Price Lewes thought the com- mittee suggested by Sir Edward Pryse could do useful work. He never believed himself in the Council becoming a great landlord, but had expressed the opinion from the be- ginning that the best plan for the Council was to purchase and sell to the tenant, and bp done with the bilsinesa. Instead of doing that the Council was creating itself into a great landlord, who wtis not going to be as generous as the ordinary and much-abused landlord. He firmly believed that the best policy for them to adopt was to purchase, and sell right out to the tenant. The Chairman: Unfortunately, we cannot do that under the Act unless we can purchase the land amicably. Major Price Lawes: But you can purchase the land amicably. The Chairman: Our experience is that we have not had a single acre of land amicably yet. Alderman W. J. Lipyd said they had jumped into this Small Holdings Act blind- folded, and before they knew what it was. They went in for big farms, instead of for 'small plots. There were three applicants for small plots in his district, but the agent did not see it worth while to go about them. Mr. Parry: I object to that. The sub- committee told me not to go. Alderman Llovd went on to say that their agent ought to go cap-in-hand to the land. lords. The Council did not want him to show the rod to every landlord in the county. They wanted him to be firm, and to try every amicable means to come to terms. The Chairman, interposed, and asked Alderman Lloyd what he was deling now— was he supporting the resolution. Alderman Lloyd: No. I have finished now. (Loud laughter). Alderman C. M, WilUams said he did not quite understand the purport of Sir Edward Pryse s motion o appoint a committee to hold a public inquiry and to invite applicants. They were all well aware that there were already L30 to 24-io applicants from various .part oi the county, and it was the sub- committees who were to be Warned for no: acting more At Aberystwyth, they had been trying to set land before the land agent cairc ivto oFie? and had been holding meef'ri;- ^ontiwvallv. bir rothing had bee.i done Pince the agent had been appointed he bad Sf'On lm °.nd down j the county, so that .it was impossible for him to settle down. It was the district com- mittees alone which could solve this problem. There were plenty of applicants. Their time during the past two years had been wasted in holding meetings, talking and ad- journing meetings. (A Member Quite right). It had been suggested that they should ad- vertise that they were prepared to lend money to persons who wished to buy land. For instance, if a farm cost P.1,000, they were prepared to advance L800, if the buyer advanced the other C200. Mr. R. S. Itowland: At what interest? Alderman Williams: It depends at what rate you can borrow. I should be quite willing to allow the chairman of the County Council to negotiate for the land. He would make very good terms for us. (Laughter). AN ABERYSTWYTH ESTATE. Alderman 'Williams continued to say that a small estate was to be put. on the market shortly in the Aberystwyth Union. The Aberystwyth sub-comnnttee had already in- structed the agent to call all the tenants j together to discuss the matter, and asoertain how many were anxious to buy, and what was their position in regard to finding capital. That report would be before the Aberystwyth. 1C0millittee in the course of a fortnight or three weeks. Something of the kind could be done in o-ber districts. In conclusion, Alderman Williams said he would vote against the proposition, as he could not see the use of it. fhe Hev. Daniel Evans pointed out that they had no right to disclose the names of applicants or to ask them to come forward. Mr. Edward Jones, Ponterwyd, said he would vote against the proposition because he felt too many committees had already been held. He felt sure that there was not a single fraudulent application in his district. and that there were A large number of per- sons ready to send in their applications as soon as the Council .took some definite steps. The people were beginning to believe that the County Council was opposed to the Act, and several had become discouraged, and had withdrawn their Applications. Was that to be wondered at wJien they had been waiting for two or three years for a piece of land. The Act had not yet been given a fair trial, and he saw no use in Sir Edward Pryse's motion except to defeat the object of the Act. He would also rote against the pro- position because a Bill had been passed within the last few days to compensate to the utmost farmers who were disturbed. He hoped for the good name of the Council that the matter would no longer be ad- journed. The councy land agent was called from every direction, and every possible obstacle was put in his way. Mr. D. C. Roberts said fag. hQped Sir Edward would not press his motion in the form in which it had been proposed. He had talked of an inquiry. It seemed to him (Mr. Roberts) that the work of inquiry should be done by the district committees, and so far, he could not say that the present system had failed. It was easy enough to find fault with the work done. They all felt that more might have been done. But this was a new Act, and there were sure to be lots of difficulties and lots of mistakes made by them and by others. For that reason he felt that no case had been made out to take away from the district com- mittees the work that they had undertaken. It seemed to him that that, kind of work must of necessity be done by the district committees. At the same time, he did feel that it was necessary that they should follow up this work a little more at the present time, so as to put the administration on a sounder basis. It was for the Committee it- self to grapple with the fioxtneia1 side of the work, and he thought it was very desirable that a small committee be appointed to con- sider carefully the methods of dealing with the finances. The County Committee should he also thought, meet oftener for a little time thaaa once a quarter. The district com- mittee also should, be held regularly, and they had decided at Aberystwyth to meet once a month. It would also be necessary that proper notice be given of the meetings, and that they should have fuller reports. He believed that by appointing a small com- mittee to consider the financial side of the matter that that would meet Sir Edward Pryse's desires. But he did not see that an inquiry of any kind was necessary. AN UTTER FARCE. Mr. J. H. Davies said it seemed to him the question they ought to be asking themselves now was whether the work of the Small Holdings Committee had been a success. The object of the Act of Parliament was to provide small holdings for people requiring them. He did not know anything about Pencarreg Farm, Aberayron, but he believed a successful arrangement had been arrived at there. As regards Cwmcynon and Dol- chenog, the thing was an utter farce. They were not small holdings at all; and they had driven a coach and pair through the Act. The Act was never meant for cases of that kind. He also felt that in making the ar- rangements—he did not know whether it was the fault of the Committee or the agent —the back of nearly every landlord had been put up. Many of the landlords started willing to do their best, but for some reason or other their backs had been put up. He did not believe that waa the way to go on. At Tregaron their experience was that they could not get meetings, they could not get to know where they stood, and when they did get meetings they did not get all the information required. They did not know at Tregaron how many applicants there were for Dolchenog, and how could they make ar- rangements? He thought the chairman of the County Committee should be at the elbow of the agent, and if necessary go about with him, and be a kind of connecting link between the agent and the Small Holdings Committee. If the chairman had done more of that he did not think they would have had all this trouble. The agent .was in a difficult and onerous position, but if he had a chairman or a small executive committee to advise him things would work much better. It was well worth their while at "this stage to appoint a committee to enqsaire into 4he working of the Act and to try and come -to an arrangement to make the thing work smoother. 1 Sir Edward was asked if he would accept Mr .D. C. Roberts) suggestion, tut replied that he wanted a full inquiry. Mr. Davies said inquiry was an awkward term. It involved a certain amount of con- demnation. Mr. D. C. Roberts moved an amendment that a committee be appointed to consider the question of administration generally. Sir Edward Pryse said if it was the wish of the meeting he would accept the amendment, though he thought nearly every speaker had given reasons proving the necessity for a case of inquiry. WHO IS TO BLAME? The Revi. W. Griffiths, Maenygroes, said he hoped Mr Roberts would confine his reso- lution to finance, because each district com- mittee could form its own rules and adopt its own method of procedure. Mr. Parry, the agent, had never been asked to attend the Finance Committee, and there was no one there able to explain his accounts. He considered that Mr. Parry should be asked to attend the meetings or the Finance Com- mittee. The impression created on his mind in connection with the Small Holdings Com- mittee was that some members were glad to get any excuses to postpone matters. Noth- ing was done before the agent was appointed. and it seemed to him that they had ap- pointed an agent in order to put the blame on him for their inaction. That day, for in- stance, a report was presented to them, but on a very slender technical mistake on Mr. Parry's part in not sending it out in time they took advantage to throw it aside. At Lampeter three months ago they failed to get a quorum, and y?t Mr. Parry was blamed that the work v. is not being done. Mr. D. O. Roberts: The blame is ours very often. Mr. Griffiths "f- it on to say that he wanted the machine: v already set up to do its work, and net put the blame on the back of Mr Parry, ^wh^n the Committee itself was to blame in minority of cases. Mr. Evan Willi T'. Llandugwydd, said he could not undevs ;;•)(! vhy the Committee did not move quicker. He was going to vote against- Sir Edward. The impression had

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Cardiganshire Small Holdings.

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