Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/229

SIZE O.F LziND HOLDINGS 217 l?nd tioa tM[ four-fifths o[ the land belongs ?o aboa? 7,000 persons. Consequently I?here has been in Ettglaad no quos- of excessive sub-division of hm':l,---indee:l ?ho problem boou the exac? reverse, viz., ?lie over-concen?m?ioa of ia the hauds. of a few p3ople; .?ad ?ho l?md legLsla- ?hat has boon ander?akoa or pt'oiocte:l ia r,?ceut ye,?rs bean ia?oudecl ?o oac?,:tr:?go aa.t prom.a?3 sub-division of land and [o bring small holders into exis[ence. In Franco the situation is the opposite of that in England. The Code Napoleon oilacts that on tim deq. th of the 5?ther J}roperty mast be equally divided amoJtgst all ,? th.e ehddren, a:ld lintits t!l.a paresfrei power of testamentary disposition of property to a part equ?l to one child's share. This l:?w was bequeathed to France by the authors of the French Revelation. It is designed to promote equality, atul to secure the riglite of the whole eomataai?y in the distri- bution o! public wealth. Even before the French Revolution them were many small holdings ia Fra:mo, but it is undoubtedly ?he cruse ?ha? ?ho operation of ?his law has caused and co:l?iaues ?o cause a groa? sub-division (an..4 incidentally fragmentation) of holdings. I? has roughly been estimated ? that in France t. here are 5,000,000 land owners who own estates. averaging 7.? acres each, 500,000 who o?.va estates averaging 75 acres each, and 50,000 who own estates ?veragiag 750 acres each. I? is asserted tha? together wi[h the sub-dividing action of the l?[w, another conselitist- lug force is ia operation, which arises from the fmct that the peasants are very hard-working and frugal, and manage to rove enough money to purchase small ptmlels of land adjoht- lug their own, and to round off their own sillall properties. The fac? th:?t in France f,?milies are assrally salmll also .mit/ga?os ?ho evil. S?ill in some par?s of l?rauco ?ho hold- Ings have been sub.divided and fragrnea?ecl to aa ex?otlt which is very prejudicial ?o effective production and a do- mand has arisen ? in France lot a modification of the law which loads to such result. s, with a view ?o ereathtg peasan? .holdings of the right size and shape, and to rocoasti[uthtg rate solid holdings the existing.scattered plots. This demauJ has never been mot ia fall byle gisla?ion, but Aots? passo'.l in 1908, 1909 and 1910 allow every f,?rmer to voluntarily place beyond ?he possibility o[ expropriation and seizure for debt a holding o[ a v,dua not oxceodm.-? 8,000 h'anes I M. de ?ve?ne E?nom? R?ra? de la France? 1875 i M, Jou?ier E?nom? Bma?[ ?gos 8t?-855 (t908). Bulletin of E?nomie ?d ?i?l Intell?en? for D?emMr t910[ i?saed by the Iu?rn?tlond Inz?tu? of Agrioaltu,e[ ?me. ?. Jo?ier E?m? B?ra?, ?es 844-B55 (1?), Bulletin ot Eoono?1o ? ?? Iu?l?u? tor F,bm?y 1914,