Page:The Irish land acts; a short sketch of their history and development.djvu/54

42 Statutes relating to the Provision of Allotments of Land and Dwellings for Agricultural Labourers in Ireland.

The Labourers (Ireland) Acts, 1883 to 1906, empower Rural District Councils to obtain loans to provide suitable dwellings and allotments of land for agricultural labourers. The loans may be applied, subject to the approval of the Local Government Board, for any of the following purposes:—The acquisition of land, either for new cottages and allotments or for additional allotments; the acquisition of existing houses; the erection of new houses; and for the legal, engineering and incidental expenses in connection with these purposes.

The expression "agricultural labourer," for the purposes of the Labourers Acts, is defined by section 4 of the Act of 1886 to mean "a man or woman who does agricultural work for hire at any season of the year on the land of some other person or persons, and shall include handloom weavers and fishermen doing agricultural work as aforesaid, and shall also include herdsmen." Section 93 of the Irish Land Act, 1903, provides that the expression "agricultural labourer" in the Labourers Acts shall also include "any person (other than a domestic or menial servant) working for hire in a rural district, whose average wages in the year preceding the lodgment of any representation under the Labourers Acts affecting him do not exceed two shillings and sixpence a day, and who is not in occupation of land exceeding one quarter of an acre."

The amount of land which may be given to a labourer under the Labourers Acts cannot exceed one statute acre.

The Rural District Council can acquire, compulsorily or by agreement, the land from the owner, either by purchase of the fee-simple or on a lease for a term not exceeding 99 years. If the lands are acquired in fee compulsorily, the sums paid to the owner and occupying tenant are fixed by an arbitrator appointed by the Local Government Board; if the lands are acquired compulsorily for a term of years, the rents to be paid are fixed by the Land Commission.

Prior to the passing of the Act of 1906, the loans for the purposes of the Labourers Acts were advanced by the Commissioners of Public Works, and were repayable by annuities, which included principal and interest. The rates of interest varied according to the number of years during which the annuities