WCP130

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

Feb^r. 11th. 1908

My dear will

The tract on "Small Holdings" is pretty good, for us, but not half clear enough for men like Dennis — The accounts of what the applicants have to do, and what the Authorities, (the County or Parish councils) have to do and can do, are so mixed up together, as to puzzle and confuse any one — They ought to have been kept altogether separate. The question of applicants show this — and these questions & answers are [2] really the only part of the thing that Dennis & Co. will be able to learn anything by. I will give it to Brown — to read, & then give to Dennis.

Clark tells me they have had a very large meeting at Poole, with a man from Board of Agriculture to explain. Also the Dorset County Council has sent a circular to the Parish Councils.

But he thinks there are [3] few if any here who will want land.

As to the Reading Contest, I am not discouraged by the first weeks, awards — or the seconds — They will have so many hundreds, perhaps, nearly equally good — that they may put aside the best for more careful comparison, as they will lost nothing, & may get then one weekly or monthly prize later on. I shall go steadily on. I am putting everything as short as possible. I did Q.7 for last week in 3 pars. of 27-30-35 [4] words — 92 words in all — giving the bare facts — taken out of three papers — Feb. 3rd. 4th. and 8th. How much did your friend take? Does he keep copies of his? When all is over it may be interesting to compare. I should think they would print at the end the whole set of papers of the £1000 prize winner- & perhaps the 4 Monthly Highest as well. With the last, I think I shall enclose a large envelop directed and stamped & ask them to return my complete set.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

[The following one sentence appears vertically on the left-hand side of the first page] P.S. Will letters now reach you, directed, "Saltburne[?]" only? Or "Glenlea Saltburne Yorks