During the second reading of the Small Holdings Bill in
the House of Commons on Wednesday Mr. Harcourt denied that small holdings could be obtained quite easily, as Mr. Chaplin had said. As to the Government plan of granting tenancies instead of selling the holdings outright, be argued that it was undesirable that those who held under local authorities should benefit by accretions in value due to the exertions of the local community. Moreover, a small holder who owned the land might be induced to sell it for non-agricultural purposes. Again, the small holder ought not to be obliged to spend his capital on land at the very moment when be wanted it for stock. Absolute ownership was the" open sesame "to the moneylender and gombeen man. Turning to the question of compensation, Mr. Harcourt said that obviously an owner would get com- pensation for any deterioration of his land, and the County Councils, as the intermediate landlords, would be able to prevent deterioration. In justification of compulsory hiring it could be said that the owner for the first time would be guaranteed a rent.
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