Mr. Jesse Collings's Small Holdings Bill passed the second reading
in the House of Commons on Monday without a division. Neither party, in truth, had the courage to resist a measure which may greatly conciliate such a mass of votes. We have described the Bill sufficiently elsewhere, and need only say here that its essence is to enable " local authorities " to acquire land, and either sell it in small farms, or let it in blocks not exceeding ten acres. They may also provide the necessary buildings. We approve the Bill as a necessity of the times— agreeing, however, that it should be, if possible, strengthened so as to ensure that the new occupier will personally cultivate —but it is with Mr. Chamberlain's feeling that it is a great experiment, almost a new departure. It really, as he says, permits local authorities to set poor men up in busi- ness. Probably their common-sense and fear about rates will act as effective checks, as they have done in the case of Guardians; but we should like to see efficient control in London. Otherwise we may see in individual parishes scenes to which the abuses of the old Poor-Law were nothing, large combina- tions to evade payment of rents and instalments. Harsh as the doctrine seems, experience shows that all poor borrowers— and the new tenantry will be poor borrowers—lose something of their self-respect and belief that a debt should be repaid.
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