64 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNITED KINGDOM
were disposed of, 161,193 for a Second Statutory Term, and 767 for a Third Statutory Term.
The Land Purchase Acts nominally began with the 'Bright Clauses' of the Act of 1870, but really the system was commenced by the ' Ashbourne Act ' of 1885, under which 10,000,000Z. was advanced for Land Purchase. A new system was adopted under Mr. Balfour's Act of 1891, which created a special Land Stock for Land Purchase purposes. Under the Irish Land Act of 1903 State advances are made to tenants to purchase their holdings under the supervision of three Estates Commissioners. Money for advances was to be raised by the issue of Land Stock bearing interest at 2| per cent. The State is secured by a Guarantee Fund which consists of the various Funds voted by Parliament for Irish Local purposes. Deficiencies in repayment of Land Purchase Annuities are made up out of this Guarantee Fund, which it is estimated will secure advances up to 152,000,OOOZ. Tenant Purchasers repay the advances by an annuity calculated at 3^ per cent, on the Purchase Money of their holdings. Of this annuity 2f per cent, is for interest and ^ per cent, for a sinking fund, the accumulation of which will repay the advance in 68-^ years. The Land Stock could not be issued except at a large discount, and the Land Act of 1909 provides that for future purchasers the money may be raised by the issue of a 3 i)er cent, stock, and in making advances the Treasury may give such stock instead of paying cash. The advances are repayable by the tenant purchasers by 3^ per cent, annuities. Under this Act the Congested Districts Board is reconstituted, the area of its work extended and its income increased. Comnulsory ])Owers of purchase are given to the Estates Commissioners and to the Congested Districts Board.
The following table shows the amounts advanced for land purchase under the Irish Land Purchase Acts up to the 31st March, 1912 : —
£ Act of 1870 518,933
Act of 1881 240,801
Act of 1885 9,992,536
Acts of 1891-96 13,146,892
Act of 1903 49,128,508
Act of 1909 ... 1,488,039
Total 74,515,709
Down to March 31, 1912, 3,588,829Z. had been advanced by the Land Commission to Rural District Councils, for the purposes of the Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1906. (This amount is not included above.)
In England and Wales, the Board of Agriculture made grants to 23 institutions in 1911-12 for agriculture instruction which act in connection with and in some cases are mainly supported by county councils. The grants amounted to 18,840Z. There are several private agricultural colleges, and important experimental work is carried on privately at Rotham- sted, AVoburn, and other places. In Ireland the Department ot Agriculture and Technical Instruction provides itinerant lecturers who give instruction in agriculture, horticulture, bee-keeping, butter-making, poultry keef)ing, &c. Lecturers are trained at the Royal College of Science, the Albert Agricultural College (Glasneven), and the Munster Institute. There are 3 agricultural stations for apprentices, and numerous centres for agricultural schools. There are also rural schools for domestic economy.
