An inquiry, convened by the Small Holdings and Allotments Committee of the Northants County Council, was held on Tuesday evening in the Council Buildings, Rushden, for the purpose of inquiring into the application for small holdings received from the urban district of Rushden. Mr. G. Miller, C.C., presided, and there were also present Messrs. John Claridge, J.P., C.C., W. Bazeley, J.P., F. Ballard, T. Swindall, C. E. Bayes, and H. A. Millington (clerk of the County Council).
It was stated that there was only one application apart from those which had been made through the Rushden Small Holdings Society, viz., Mr. W. J. Osborne, of the Rushden Court estate, Newton-road.
The Chairman said that the great majority of the applicants for small holdings had formed themselves into associations, and these associations were represented at the inquiry held last Saturday at Northampton. After the various inquiries had been held throughout the county, the County Council Committee would consider any schemes which were thought to be suitable for the different districts and would then report to the Board of Agriculture, whose approval must be secured. The sub-committee had to be satisfied that the applicants were able to cultivate the land to the satisfaction of the Council and that they had the amount of capital required for the quantity of land they were applying for.
Mr. Osborne, who was unable to attend, and who was represented by his son, Mr. F. Osborne, applied for 30 acres of land, all pasture.
Mr. Swindall: It seems a pity Mr. Osborne does not join the society, so as to be in the line with the rest.
Mr. F. Osborne said his father had no objections to join the society, but lived so far away that he had not been able to attend the meetings.
The Chairman: I think it would be much more economical for him to join the society, and then we could deal with the whole of the applications collectively.
Mr. Claridge: I thought the Act referred particularly to cultivated land, rather than pasture land.
The Chairman: The Act permits the acquisition of pasture land as well.
It was understood that Mr. Osborne would join the society and make his application through them.
Mr. F. Whittemore, of the Dial Farm, Bedford-road, Rushden, also attended, and said that the land which he occupied would shortly be offered by auction. Would the Act help him?
The Chairman said the intention of the Act was not only to get people to the land but also to keep people on the land who were already there.
The committee then dealt with the two cases in private.
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