THE MISUSED GLEBES.
The Marquess of Lincolnshire, who will again bring in a Parliamentary Bill on the subject next year, discusses the use
of glebe and other church lands for smallholdings in the January number of that ingenious little quarterly, The Countryman ; and Mr. Robertson-Scott reminds him that in Denmark much of the glebe has been long turned to this purpose. It is perfectly true that the central position of much ecclesiastical land makes it peculiarly well fitted for smallholdings or allotments ; but the pity is that at the same time it also acquires building value. To give a particular instance, in a recent attempt to acquire a village playing- field, the most plausible of the schemes was defeated, because the desired fields were estimated at a value of £200 an acre by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who doubtless feel that they are under obligation to extract the maximum of value out of their property. The difficulty in finding allot- ments as well as playing-fields in villages is the outrageous value attributed to land near other houses.
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