Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/234

 KEAINE him or to exchange plots of adjacent to his own property. might require to the valne less than 800 sqnare metres The neighboring proprietor in exchange a plot superior by one-fifth of the plot given p by him. This law also remained inoperative. The law under which progress has been made is the law of 1902 for "the restriping and re-adjustment of landed property." This law lays down that as soon as the undertaking is planned the consent of a majority of proprietors concerned, or, in default of this, of a number of proprietors who represent half the land to be restripod will be snfiieient to compel the opposition to asso- ciate in the work. Restriping may .even be ordered officially by the Council of State in the ease of any commune or region of 10 hectares, when the averse extent of the parcels in such commune or zone is less than 500 square meters. In 1908 restriping was declared to be eompnlsory by the Council of State in six communes. Other Cantons have passed very similar laws, and in many Cantons restriping has been systematically ordered on a compulsory basis in connection with the construction of public works sneh as road-making, canals, drainage or snrveys. Commissions are appointed to carry oat the work and grants of public money made to facilitate the work. In the Canton of St. Gall it is shown that restrip- ing with closer grouping adapted to local conditions to sub-division enhanced valne of inconveniences dno disappear, and the from this work per cent to 77 per cent. caused all the fragmentation to holdings resulting 60 is estimated at of in the Swiss Swiss Civil o! land when ha8 and the from As a result of the experience gained by the operation those communal laws the principle has now bccn accepted Federal Legislation, and Article 703 of the Code provides for the compulsory, restriping the project is approved of by two-thirds of the persons interested, representing more than half the land. The Cantons have the power of modifying this provision for their own purposes, and work on their own laws. Mr. Girsbarger estimates the increased value obtained by restrip- ing at 500 francs per hectare (Its. 153 per acre) and cal- culates the minimum annnal saying due to the work already mdertakeu at one million francs  (equal to Rs. 6,2.5,000). Austria In Austria extoasive agricultural work connected with the reform of land tenures, the reclamation of waste lands, homestead settlements, ere,, is undertaken by Commissions. The restriping of fragmentl holdings is part of the work t Ibid,, March 1918.