202 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



But then there must be some one to answer for the first outlay. 

 It would be unreasonable for us to expect ourselves to be able 

 satisfactorily to carry through a movement, such as we have in 

 view, without assistance to settlers given from some one outside. 

 Work as they will, without such help they cannot possibly raise the 

 first funds or subsequently succeed. It is precisely the same thing 

 in housing, which likewise requires capitalist help from the outside. 

 The outlay required is too large, and repayment of it has to be 

 spread over too long a period for the persons actively engaged to 

 provide the funds by themselves, even with the potent help of 

 co-operation. There must be aid from outside. And in cases like 

 these the State, acting as representative of the community, which 

 stands to gain by the proposed change, may justly be called upon 

 to lend a helping hand — although, as the work goes on, private 

 assistance, not necessarily as a gift, but on what is known as the 

 philanthropy-cum-5 per cent, plan, may be expected to come in, in 

 fairly substantial proportions, once the ground is cleared, to carry 

 the work further. 



In our case the State made a very modest attempt to render such 

 help in 1892. We must not here speak of what has been done in 

 Ireland, because the case to be dealt with there was entirely dif- 

 ferent in kind from our own. Mr. Chaplin's Act of 1892 has been 

 much found fault with. Its effect has been practically nil. How- 

 ever, on the ground of what was known at the time on the question, 

 its terms were not by any means unfair. The 20 per cent, of the 

 purchase price to be provided by the purchaser has proved deter- 

 rent. However, under Prussian legislation of about, roughly 

 speaking, the same period, we find that as much as 25 per cent, was 

 asked for — and got. And Denmark — liberal Denmark, which is 

 commonly accepted as the general model in such dealings — has only 

 quite lately, long after 1892, come down in its demand from settlers 

 from one-fifth to one-tenth. The reduction shows, instructively 

 for us, where the shoe was, in practice, found to pinch. The Czar's 

 generous — but decidedly called for — gift to the peasantry, wholly 

 quashing their debt on the Land Register, was at that time not 

 yet thought of, nor yet Mr. Wyndham's liberal gift to Ireland. But 

 the Czar's gift plainly proved that Russian experience had been the 

 same as Danish and our own. 



However, in our case, that one-fifth, as observed, stood fatally 

 in the way of success for Mr. Chaplin's measure ; and Ministers 

 have since then had neither the time nor the disposition to think out 

 a new plan. Meanwhile, party politics have unfortunately taken 



