PROPOSALS FOR LAND REFORM 1 25 



The Society recommends a minimum wage of 23 shillings per week for 

 agricultural labourers. As it is held that, although better-paid labour pro- 

 duces better work, the improvement in the value of the work would prob- 

 ably not keep pace with the increased wage,it is proposed that a tenant farmer 

 should be given the option of terminating his contract with his landlord 

 within six months of the enforcement of the minimum wage. If the tenant is 

 already rented nearly as heavily as he can bear, it is argued, the bulk of 

 the burden of the increased cost of labour would be transferred to the land- 

 lord, the rent being correspondingly reduced. On the other hand the com- 

 petition of others anxious for access to the laud would prevent the rent from 

 being reduced by more than the amount of the increased cost of labour. 

 The society wotild prefer to leave the adjustment of the burden to amic- 

 able settlement between tenant and landlord rather than submit it to the 

 cumbersome process of decision by a Land Court. 



To solve the housing problem, the Society proposes that a State sur- 

 vey of cottage accommodation should be undertaken ; that the local auth- 

 orities should be allowed two years in which to make good the deficiency 

 and that if they failed to do so they should not receive grants-in-aid 

 from the Exchequer for any service whatever until the necessary cottages 

 were built. 



It is further proposed that loans should be granted to local authorities 

 for cottage building at the lowest possible rate of interest, and that they 

 should receive annual grants equal to the sinking fund and the half of any 

 loss inevitably or properly incurred in letting the cottages. 



The Fabian Society recommend that Land Commissioners should be 

 appointed with power to acquire land compulsorily at valuation. As a 

 fuT':hcr step in the direction of land nationaUsation, the vSociety advocates 

 that iTi lieu of part of the Death Duties upon land, the State should accept 

 , an irredeemable mortgage, which should constitute a permanent charge 

 i upon the estate. It is argued that, as the interest of the State in the land 

 ^increased, land would become, from the point of view of sentiment, a less 

 desirable object and its selhng value would be reduced to its true eco- 

 nomic value. When the sentimental value had disappeared and the vState 

 possessed a large interest in the land, it might then buy out the interest 

 of the landlord and become itself the owner. 



Other recommendations are that the railwas^s should be nationalised 

 and state motor services established in rural districts ; that agricultural 

 education should be improved by the estabUshment of experimental 

 farms and free farm schools and the appointment of travelling agricultural 

 instructors; that a large scheme of afforestation should be undertaken by 

 the State; and that grants in aid of local services should made conditional 

 on a national minimum standard of efficiency. 



