ALLOTMENTS

an allotment, in great britain, + ac., but not exceeding five ac. in farm and partly as a garden. in other words, it is a small agri- entircly different, cultural holding, subject to the same terms relating to notice to ‘quit and compensation. such allotments are almost exclusively confined to rural districts and are to be found principally in tlie fen district and where the soil is suitable for market gardening. the word allotment, as popularly used, means something and really refers to an allotment-garden. | this is defined as an allotment not exceeding 40 poles in extent, which is wholly, or mainly, cultivated by the occupicr for the production of vegetables and fruit crops for consumption by too himself or his family. the overwhelming number of allotments are of this kind, and in this article the term allotments must be taken generally in this sense. the small holdings & allotments act, 1908, was followed by a great increase in the number of allotments. on dec. 31.1909 there were 58,648 allotments covering an area of 17,529 ac., increased on dec. 31 1914 10 130,526 allotments and 33.523 acres. during this period, land-renting associations were formed in all parts of the country with the object of procuring and man- aging land for their members. the war period.—the world war changed the whole aspect of the problem. the provision of allotments had been, hitherto, largely a rural question, but the food shortage which developed as the war went on transferred the problem from the countryside to the towns and cities. home food production on a larger scale became an imperative necessity. ‘to ensure this, emergency icgis- lation under the defence of the realm regulations was passed in t916—7 and 1918 (since withdrawn), the effect of which was to give local authorities powers for the compulsory acquisition ol land for allotments. the powers granted were at first confined to the appropriation of vacant land, 7.e., undeveloped building sites, but were afterwards extended so that practically any land could be acquired. hitherto, the statutory right to an allotment was confined to the “ labouring population,” but this limitation was withdrawn. the result was that patriotic persons, of both sexes and from all classes of socicty, were to be found cultivating allotments, until, on dec. 3r 1920, there were 1,330,000 allot- ments, embracing 185,000 acres. even then there remained 44,736 unsatisfied applicants waiting for land to cultivate. the cultivation of allotments during the war created a new and absorbing interest for thousands of british citizens, so much so that, when the temporary allotments which had been used were taken for purposes of greater public utility, a widespread demand for alternative land on a more permanent tenure was made. this desire may be traced in a series of acts of parliament: the land settlement (facilities) act, 1919; the agriculture act, 1920; the allotments act, 1922; the agricultural rates act, 1923; and the allotments act, 1925. this legislation has entitled the allotment holder, under normal circumstances, to a six months’ minimum notice to quit; compensation for crops and manures when less notice is received; concessions in local rates; and representation on the statutory allotments committecs of local authorities. the 1925 act enables associations to borrow from the public works loan commissioners up to two-thirds of the value of land purchased, repayment being spread over a maximum period of 35 years. local authorities providing allot- ments are also empowered, if necessary, to incur a loss not ex- ceeding a rd. rate when action is taken under the allotments acts. they may also obtain allotments in advance of the demand, as well as make provision for them in all schemes of town planning. the great problem which confronts the allotment movement is insecurity of tenure. allotment associations are helping to solve it themselves by the purchase of land where practicable, but this is impossible in congested areas where land is scarce and very expensive. large allotment areas still exist where the tenancies may be determined by short notices to quit. an increasing number of temporary allotments have becn surrendered for building purposes and the decrease in the number reported at the end of 1924 was duc almost entirely to this cause. some figures-—the ministry of agriculture gave the figures at the end of 1923 as 1,190,000 allotments and, at the end of 1924, 1,170,000, a decrease of about 1-5 %, but they add: “it would be a mistake to conclude from these figures that interest in the allotment movement is waning.’”’ there were 15,000 registcred applicants waiting for allotments at the end of 1924. allotments produce 700,000 tons of foodstufls each year, worth, approximately, £7,000,000, and this produce not only increases the national wealth but makes a valuable contribution to the family budgets of over 1,000,000 families. irom a small allotment-garden of 10 rods (just over 300 sq. yd.) it is estimated that {10 worth of vegetables are obtained during the season. ~alma-tadema—alsace-lorraine biibliography.—annual report of proceedings under the small holdings and allotments acts, 1920 (1921), 1923 (1924), 1924 (1925); report of the deparimenial committee on allotments, 1921 (1922); memorandum setting out the provisions of the allotments act, 1922 (1922); memorandum indicating amendments in the allotments act, 1922, made by the alloiments act, 1925 (1925); annual report allot- ments organisation society and smatl llolders lta. (g. w. g.) alma-tadema, sir laurence (1836-1912), british painter (sce 1.712), cied at wiesbaden june 25 1912. an exhibition of his works was held in london in 1913. alsace, early operations in: sce frontiers, battles of the. alsace-lorraine (see 1.756), two provinces of france, restored to her by germany under the treaty of versailles. ‘the area is: bas-rhin,:1,848 sq: m.; haut rhin, 1.354 sa. ms moselle, 2,019 sq. m.; and the population bas rhin, 651,686; haut rhin, 468,943; moselle, 380,120. i. german administration 1ro10-8 under the constitution of july 4 1879, alsace-lorraine (das reichsland) was administered by (1) a minister for alsace- lorraine, assisted by under-secretaries of state, acting for and on behalf of the chancellor; (2) a provincial delegation (landes- ausschuss), possessing the legislative initiative, and the right of receiving and discussing petitions; (3) a statthalter, representing the emperor. a new constitution was passed by the reichstag on may 26 1911. the empcror, as direct sovereign of the reichsland, con- tinued to be represented in strasbourg by a statthalter, who governed with the assistance of a secretary of state, responsible to the emperor alone. the laudesausschuss was replaced by a landtag, consisting of an upper chamber composed one-half of ex-oflicio members, one-half of members nominated by the em- peror; and a second chamber composed of 60 members elected directly by universal suffrage. the elections for the second chamber (oct. 22 and 29 1911) returned 26 members of the centre (catholic party), ro of the lorraine group, 11 socialists, 9 liberal democrats and 4 independents. the landtag and the ministry came into conflict on april 29 1912, when the govt. on the strength of secret reports from berlin, demanded the dismissal of the director of the grafen- staden locomotives works, on the ground of french intrigues, and threatened to withdraw their orders from the works. the second chamber passed an unanimous vote of censure on the ministers for failing to defend the accused. a second vote of censure was passed when the souvenir alsacten-lorratn which tended the graves of 1870, was suppressed in 1913, and it was known that the ministry was preparing further measures against the french press and associations. lar more serious was the incident of saverne (zabern). in oct. 1913 the news spread that a young officer of the 7oth infantry, lieut. von forstner, had, on parade, adcdlressed the al- satian recruits as “ wackes ” (strect arabs), and promised 10 marks to every soldier who would bring in the skin of one of these “* wackes.” alsatian soldiers were obliged to parade be- fore the licutenant, saying “loam a wacke.” in addition, forstner had grossly insulted the french flag. the dsacsser and a saverne newspaper protested. public opinion was aroused. forstner was pursued by lads in the streets, wad had to go about under guard. the affair threatened a colli- sion between the civil power and the military authorities. on the night of nov. g-1o, forstner had been besieged in his quar- ters by a mob. the sub-prefect and the mayor consented to summon the fire-brigade. but without awaiting orders, col. von reutter, who was in command of the garrison, had on his own initiative sent out military patrols and held machine-guns in readiness. the sub-prefect referred the matter to the minister of the interior, mandel; the colonel referred it to gen. von deim- ling. as it happened, mandel and von deimling were dining at strasbourg in the same house, and the discussion between them was a stormy one. on nov. 28, when forstner was being pursued in the street as usual, lieut. schadt ordered out the guard, and col. von alsace-lorraine reutter had 29 persons arrested at random. the soldiers searched houses, and the procureur and several civil magistrates were shut up in the barracks. on dec. 2 forstner caused the arrest at dettwiller of a shoemaker's boy, and struck him on the head with his sabre. the affair became daily more serious, and deep feeling was aroused. in the reichstag on dec. 4 ror3, all parties, with the exception of the conservatives, passed a vote of censure on bethmann-hollweg by 293 votes against 54, with four abstentions. in alsace the second chamber violently at- tacked the ministry in the sittings of jan. 13 and 15 19143 even in the first chamber the vote of censure was unanimous but for the votes of two generals and a professor of public law, named labaud, and two abstentions. the military party accepted the challenge. forstner, at first sentenced to 43 days arrest, was acquitted on appeal by the war council, together with reutter and schadt. in berlin the prefect of police, herr von jagow, published in the areussettung a letter in which he declared that the officers garrisoned in the annexed provinces were serving in a practically enemy country. finally the emperor, exasperated by the attacks against the military caste caused by this notorious case, accused in turn the statt- halter and his ministers of weakness. count von wedel was replaced by baron von dallwitz and herr zorn von bulach by count von roedern as minister of state. all parties of the second chamber formed a “ league for the defence of alsace-lorraine ” to repel the attacks and suspicion directed against the country. during the war the german authorities took severe measures in alsace-lorraine. during the first months about 1,000 well- known persons were imprisoned or sent into germany to be kept under police supervision, the sale of french newspapers was forbidden in alsace-lorraine, and the use of the i'rench language in the streets. in 1918, according to ofiicial statistics, 1,640 persons were under preventative arrest and 1,900 exiled. young persons and women were obliged to work for the army in bad and dangerous conditions. by 1917, 18,426 natives of alsace- lorraine had deserted from the german army; 23.000 served as volunteers in the french army during the war. at the end of july 1918, conviction of the impending defeat of germany became general in alsace. the new chancellor, prince max of baden, replaced the statthalter andl the secretary of state by two alsatians, m. schwander, mayor of strasbourg, and m. hauss, the leader of the centre party. m. schwander could not form a ministry, and in the beginning of nov. the chamber compelled his resignation, and itself formed a min- istry, in which a nationalist alsatian, m. pileger, was minister of the interior. this was the constitutional position at the date of the armistice of nov. 11. but at the same time marines from kiel arrived at strasbourg and metz, where they organised councils of workmen and soldiers. french flags, which had already been hoisted, were replaced by red flags. finally, thanks to the mediation of the socialist leaders imbs and peirotes, the two governments—of the chamber and of the soviets—reached an agreement. to put an end to the anarchy caused by the re- treating german troops delegations begged the french generals to hasten their entry. on nov. 12 the abbe delsor proposed in the alsatian chamber an address of allegiance to france, which was unanimously agreed. gen. petain entered metz, gen. gouraud strasbourg, gen. de castelnau colmar, and were received with acclamations. the treaty of versailles returned alsace-lorraine to france as from nov. 11 1918. | ii. french administration 1918-26 alsace-lorraine had constituted an artificial union under germany. the french re-occupation avoided sudden changes of administration. ‘“ it was thought preferable,” writes m. dela- hache, “‘ to limit as far as seemed possible immediate and absolute changes. it was not desired to reject, on principle and without discrimination, institutions and usages which had been estab- lished in alsace after 1870. the chamber of trade, limited companies, the land register, social insurance—all of them novelties for the rest of france, but familiar in alsace, were iool worth conserving, and doubtless worth extension. it ought to be possible to profit by experience gained, to find useful models, to try new combinations.” the framework created by germany was therefore maintained. a high commissioner, m. georges maringer, held office until march 21 1919, when m. millerand was appointed with the title of commissioner-general. he was succeeded by m. alapetite on feb. 11 1920. the three german departments became those of haut-rhin, bas-rhin and meurthe et moselle, each of them administered by a conimissioner, the french govt. promised to allow the population to retain german institutions, municipal government, civil law, education system, workmen's law, social insurance and confessional schools. it also retained the concordat. the former offices of the minister of the interior of alsace-lorraine continued to function up to april 1919. there was then constituted a department of the interior, which grouped under its authority health, religion and prison services. public assistance, which under the german regime was not a state administration, was organised as in other depart- ments and attached to the ministry of the interior. the ministry of the interior had to create a system of sub-prefects, to form an elec- tive regional council! (bill of dec. 24 1919), and to draw up elective lists on the principle of french electoral law, under the decree of may 6 1919. finance.—a decree of the prime minister’s of nov. 26 1918, made the circulation of the mark illegal from dee. 19. it was conceded that for alsatians, for lorrainers, the allies and neutrals domiciled in -\lsace or lorraine before the war, marks would be exchanged at the rate of 1-25 frances to the mark. in dec. about 900,000 marks were exchanged. ‘the customs frontier was moved back from the vosges to the rhine, and the french tariff was put in force on pels 30 1919. the general adjustment of indirect taxation to french prac- tice was completed on aug. 1 1919. direct taxation (income tax) was introduced by the chamber of deputies on the initiative of the deputies of alsace-lorraine, to come into force in 1920. the state monopoly on tobacco growing was extended to alsace-lorraine by the decree of may 27 1920; the monopoly has not been extended to manufacture and sale. justice.—the decree of nov. 30 1918, displaced all the magistrates of alsace and lorraine; the creation of a new personnel occupied io months. commissions of five members were created to study the introduction of l'rench law. penal law and the law with regard to criminal investigation were introduced on nov. 25 1919, patents and copyrights law on feb, 10 1920. feducation.—t he new service was installed in place of the german systemon nov. 29 1918. the officials were removed and replaced as opportunity offered; the new organisation was only really established in april 1919. the professors left strasbourg university; it was therefore closed on dec. 8 1918; but reopened on jan. 19 1919. in secondary and primary education, the change was made slowly, the teaching of french was enforced and that of german reduced; thus the readaptation of alsace-lorraine to french jife has been gradual. serious difiiculties have not arisen, nor will they unless the central crovt. attempt to touch jinguistic and religious liberties. in 1924 the proposal of the herriot ministry to suppress the confessional schools provoked lively opposition. administrative changes in 1925.—on sept. 9 1920, a consult- ative committee was added to the commissariat-general. these institutions are necessarily provisional. as early as dec. 1921, a socialist deputv, m. uhry, asked in the chamber for the abolition of the commissariat-general and the end of the transi- tional regime—a programme which was adopted from that date by the extreme left. m. uhry returned to the charge in dec. 1922, when the alsace-lorraine budget was under discussion. the chamber of deputies refused to make the change, by an enormous majority. in the summer of 1923, the govt. declared their intention of abolishing the commissariat-general on july 1 1924. m. alapetite resigned in the course of that month; m. cacaud, secretary-general of the commissariat, undertook his official duties on july 21 for the time being. on nov. 8a meeting of the alsace-lorraine deputies was held under the chairmanship of m. herriot, then prime minister. it was decided that the commissariat-general should be abolished from jan. 4 1925. the temporary council at strasbourg was to be replaced by a council sitting in paris. this council was definitely authorised by a decree of nov. 14, and m. painleve, in a speech delivered on june 1 1925, at strasbourg, promised that it would be promptly formed. an under-secretary of state—the first to hold the office was m. georges bonnet—was charged with matters spe- cially concerning alsace-lorraine. (for the importance of alsace and lorraine in the general economy of france see france.) to2 brblriograpiiy.—g. delahache, les debuts de ? administration francaise en alsace eten lorraine (1921); e. wetterle, l’ alsace et la guerre (1919); rene henry, temoignage pour les alsaciens lorrains (1925); rod. reuss, /tistoire d’ alsace, 14th ed. (1918). (h. br.*) altman, benjamin (1840-1913), american merchant and art collector, was born july 12 1840 in new york city, and died there oct. 7 1913. as a young man he became interested in early european and oriental art. his collections of chinese porcelains and oriental rugs were remarkable. of the works of rembrandt he possessed probably the largest private collection ever assembled. he bequeathed his collections, including works by velazquez, van dyck, cuyp and ruysdael, to the metro- politan museum of art, new york city. shortly before his death he secured the incorporation of the altman foundation, established for the welfare of the employees of the department store of b. altman and co., of which he was the head.