chase (section 21 (1) and (2) of the Act of 1919). It is advisable, however, to endeavour to secure the formation of a co-operative society for the purpose before a Council itself undertakes the purchase of such requirements, and the Agricultural Organisation Society of 40, Broadway, Westminster, S.W.1, will be glad to assist in the formation of co-operative societies of allotment holders. Damage to Allotment Crops 18. Section 21 (4) of the Act of 1919 provides that any person who by any act done without lawful authority or by negligence causes damage to any crops growing on an allotment cultivated as a garden shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding five pounds, if notice of this provision is conspicuously displayed on or near the allotment. 19. The Board suggest, therefore, that Local Authorities should arrange to post the following notice on any land used for allotments and that they should take proceedings against any person who does damage to the crops by trespass or otherwise : NOTICE. Land Settlement (Facilities) Act, 1919. This land is cultivated as garden allotments and crops are growing thereon. Any person who without lawful authority or by negligence causes damage to any growing crops is liable on summary conviction to a fine of £5. Stamp Duty on Agreements for Letting Allotments. 20. Section 21 (5) of the Act of 1919 provides that no stamp duty shall be payable on any agreement for the letting of an allotment or the counterpart if the rent does not exceed 10s. per annum and no premium is paid. Appropriation of Land. 21. Under section 22 of the Act of 1919, a Council, with the consent of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries and of the Ministry of Health may (a) appropriate for the purpose of allotments any land held by the Council for other purposes; and (b) appropriate for other purposes of the Council land acquired by the Council for allotments. 22. This power of appropriation may often be used with advantage to allow the temporary use as allotments of land acquired for purposes such as cemetery extensions, building of schools, houses, etc., where it is not required immediately for the purpose for which it was acquired. Compensation on Quitting. 23. Difficulties have frequently arisen in the past in arranging with owners of land for tenancies of their land for allotments owing to the fact that the owners were liable on the termination of the tenancy to pay compensation to the Council for crops, tillage, etc., which were of no value to the owners, where the land was required for building, etc. This difficulty has been removed by section 23 of the Act of 1919, under which an allotment authority and an owner can agree that land shall be let to a Council for allotments without any liability to pay compensation on the termination of the tenancy of the land. This provision does not, however, affect the right of the allotment holders to obtain from the Council on quitting such compensation as they may be entitled to for crops and labour, and Councils should therefore in such cases provide some margin in the rents charged for the allotments so as to provide a fund for the payment of compensation. Allotments in Parks and Open Spaces. 24. During the War many Local Authorities have allowed the temporary use for allotments of parts of the parks and open spaces under their control. In the absence of any provision to the contrary there would have been no authority for the continuation of these allotments after the termination of the war, and a provision has therefore been inserted in the new Act (section 30 (2)) authorising Local Authorities to allow the continued use of the land for allotments for a period of two years after the termination of the war. The question whether the allotments should continue for the full period is one which must be decided in each case by the Local Authority concerned in the light of their knowledge of the local conditions and of the relative claims of the allotment holders and of other classes of the population. Allotments in London. 25. Up to the present the London County Council has been the only statutory allotment authority in London, but during the war the Metropolitan Borough Councils have been authorised by the Board to act as their agents under Regulation 2L of the Defence of the Realm Regulations. This arrangement has worked satisfactorily and accordingly the Metropolitan Borough Councils have been constituted statutory allotment authorities by section 24 of the Act of 1919 and have been given concurrent powers with the London County Council for the provision of allotments in their areas. Minor Amendments. 26. There are certain other minor amendments of the law relating to allotments in Section 21 and in the Second and Third Schedules of the Act of 1919, and I am to ask that the attention of the officials of your Council who are concerned with the provision and management of allotments may be called to them. Regulation 21. 27. In view of the extended powers of compulsory acquisition now entrusted to Councils under the Act of 1919, the Board direct me to say that as from the 11th inst., the powers delegated to Councils under the Cultivation of Lands Orders made under Regulation 2L of the Defence of the Realm Act as regards entry on land for the purpose of allotments shall no longer be exercised without the consent of the Board being previously obtained. 28. In conclusion, I am to ask that this letter may be brought to the notice of the Allotments Committee of your Council at an early date and that they will consider without delay what steps should be taken to provide additional allotments wherever there is an unsatisfied demand. In view also of the fact that many of the existing allotment holders may have to be disturbed owing to the land being required for building, your Council should look ahead and arrange to acquire alternative land to which any dispossessed allotment holders can move. In providing new allotment land Councils would be well advised to arrange for it to be well ploughed before the allotment holders take possession, so that they may be saved the heavy work of having to break up the land themselves. 29. Additional copies of this letter may be obtained on application to the Board. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, CIRCULAR OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH. MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE. Ministry of Health, Whitehall, S.W.1, 24th September, 1919. Sir or Madam,—I am directed by the Minister of Health to inform you that in pursuance of Section 3 (1) (c) and Section (11) (1) of the Ministry of Health Act, 1919, an Order in Council has been made under which the work of the Board of Education with respect to attending to the health of expectant and nursing mothers and of children who have not attained the age of five years and are not in attendance at schools recognised by the Board of Education will be transferred to the Minister of Health. The transfer will take place on 1st October, 1919, and from that date all communications with reference to Schools for Mothers and Day Nurseries which have been receiving grants from the Board of Education should be addressed to the Ministry of Health, and all applications for grants should be made to the Ministry. The regulations under which grants are made by the Ministry to Maternity and Child Welfare Centres (which include Schools for Mothers) and to Day Nurseries are appended to the Circular of the Local Government Board of 9th August, 1918, a copy of which is enclosed. Any applications for grant for the current financial year that may be outstanding at the date of transfer will be dealt with on the existing basis. Memoranda with regard to the future conduct of these Institutions are in course of preparation and will be issued shortly. I am, Sir or Madam, Your obedient Servant. ROBERT L. MORANT, Secretary. CIRCULAR OF MINISTRY OF HEALTH. Ministry of Health, Whitehall, S.W.1. 25th September. 1919. Sir. I am directed by Dr. Addison to enclose a copy of a letter from the Prime Minister thanking the members and officials of Tribunals for the work which they have done. Dr. Addison requests that a copy of the letter may be given to each member and official of the Tribunal. Dr. Addison wishes to add his appreciation of the services which have been rendered by the Tribunal. Though he was not at the Local Government Board during the time when the Tribunals were actively at work, he has had occasion in other connections to become acquainted with their services, and he realises the extreme difficulty of the task which they had to perform and the manner in which it has been accomplished. With regard to the papers relating to cases which have been dealt with by Tribunals, it is necessary that they shall be preserved for the present. Should a report have been prepared on the work of your Tribunal, and a copy has not yet been sent to this Department, Dr. Addison will be glad if a copy is forwarded to be placed on record. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, I. G. GIBBON, Assistant Secretary. To the Clerk or Secretary of the Tribunal. 10, Downing Street, Whitehall, S.W.1, 1st September, 1919. Dear Sir,-Now that peace with Germany has been signed, I wish to convey the thanks of His Majesty's Government to the members and officials of Tribunals for the great work which they accomplished during the conflict through which we have passed. The task entrusted to the Tribunals was laborious and formidable, especially to men who, as a rule, had many other claims upon their time and energies. It called in a high degree for the exercise of patience, sagacity and impartiality. The decision of cases involved grave responsibilities from which members of Tribunals might not unnaturally have shrunk if they had not placed the country's need before all other considerations. The work of the Tribunals was unostentatious; but it has played a vital part in securing the Victory and Peace which have been achieved. On behalf of His Majesty's Government, it is my duty and privilege to thank the Tribunals and their officials for the valuable services which they have rendered to the nation in these critical years. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, D. LLOYD GEORGE. |