This letter of complaint contained 47 signatures, representing nearly all the tenants of the Holgate site. In this action, tenants acted collectively to rework the terms and conditions set out by the Corporation, which was now compelled to consider its position and responsibilities as a landlord. This alteration in the relationship between the Corporation and its citizens had a substantial impact across the city. As residents witnessed the development of the Holgate site and the negotiations between the Corporation and the Holgate Allotment Holders Association a perception arose that regarded the provision of allotments as the duty. This Corporation’s manifested itself in the formation of several local allotment associations, which used the example of the Holgate site to begin petitioning the Corporation to request that allotments be made available in their areas as well. However, despite the working class activism which had secured the Holgate site for its residents, it was the Liberal ideal of self-improvement which was reinforced as the function of the sites. Oscar Rowntree, brother of Benjamin ‘proper’ Rowntree and Treasurer of the Liberal Association, writing in the Yorkshire Gazette on the 25th of August 1906 defined the three principal values of an allotment to a working man: 1) If a man puts labour into it he can add materially to his weekly wage from its produce. 2) He is always sure of a good supply of fresh vegetables. 3) The cultivation affords pleasure and healthy exercise to one who may have been cooped-up all day in some factory or other place of business. In addition his family will undoubtedly derive great benefit where they help its cultivation. An editorial comment in the same paper also referred to the notion of that the ‘improvement’ allotment offered to working class residents of York:
This letter of complaint contained 47 signatures, representing nearly all the tenants of the Holgate site. In this action, tenants acted collectively to rework the terms and conditions set out by the Corporation, which was now compelled to consider its position and responsibilities as a landlord. This alteration in the relationship between the Corporation and its citizens had a substantial impact across the city. As residents witnessed the development of the Holgate site and the negotiations between the Corporation and the Holgate Allotment Holders Association a perception arose that regarded the provision of allotments as the Corporation’s duty. This manifested itself in the formation of several local allotment associations, which used the example of the Holgate site to begin petitioning the Corporation to request that allotments be made available in their areas as well. However, despite the working class activism which had secured the Holgate site for its residents, it was the Liberal ideal of self-improvement which was reinforced as the ‘proper’ function of the sites. Oscar Rowntree, brother of Benjamin Rowntree and Treasurer of the Liberal Association, writing in the Yorkshire Gazette on the 25th of August 1906 defined the three principal values of an allotment to a working man: 1) If a man puts labour into it he can add materially to his weekly wage from its produce. 2) He is always sure of a good supply of fresh vegetables. 3) The cultivation affords pleasure and healthy exercise to one who may have been cooped-up all day in some factory or other place of business. In addition his family will undoubtedly derive great benefit where they help its cultivation. An editorial comment in the same paper also referred to the notion of ‘improvement’ that the allotment offered to working class residents of York:
WilsonSocialReformAllotmentGardening.docx