96 AWAKENING OF ENGLAND. 



" That horrid old man in those dirty boots 

 — he is only a day-labourer. But it's politics, 



you know, and Mr. , the agent, says you 



must mix up all classes a bit for politics; 

 and when I complain about my carpet, he says 

 that the horrid old man is a very useful asset to 

 us. I say / wouldn't give him the two syllables, 

 the old wretch ! " 



In spite of the cry of agricultural distress, 

 there seems no abatement on the part of the 

 larger farmers in investing fresh capital in 

 land or in adding farm to farm, and in the 

 recolonisation of rural England the presence 

 of so many large farmers on our county 

 councils constitutes a national danger. There 

 are no more progressive county councils in 

 England than those of Norfolk, and the 

 Kesteven and Holland County Councils (Lin- 

 colnshire), and yet we find in the purchase of 

 farms by even these county councils traces of 

 underhand work inimical to the interests of 

 the ratepayers as well as to men applying for 



land. 



In Norfolk, a certain farm sold during 

 my tour was, I discovered, purchased quite 

 by accident over the heads of the County 

 Council by a near relative of a member of the 



