314 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



(flushed with having victoriously torpedoed the Profiteering 

 Committee) at a meeting of agriculturists at Caxton 

 Hall on October 21, with Lord Lee at his elbow, de- 

 livered a lecture to the members of the Royal Commis- 

 sion on Agriculture, in which, without waiting for that 

 Commission's Report, he outlined a policy of guaranteed 

 prices for a period (unstated) of years and at a figure 

 (unstated) approximating to the present prices. 



At Labour it is true there was hardly an agricultural 

 labourer present though there were a few workers' repre- 

 sentatives he shook an admonitory finger, warning them 

 not " to drive too hard a bargain." It became evident, 

 even to the dullest intellect, that Mr. Lloyd George 

 could no longer be considered a champion of the agricul- 

 tural labourer. Before the landowners present he sat on 

 the stool of repentance. He prayed forgiveness for his 

 Limehouse speeches. He evidently wanted them to forget 

 he had ever made this famous peroration : " We want 

 to do something to bring the land within the grasp of the 

 people. The resources of the land are frozen by the old 

 feudal system. I am looking forward to the spring-time 

 when the thaw will set in, and when the people, and the 

 children of the people, shall enter into the inheritance 

 given them from on high." 



The Commission published its Interim Report in Decem- 

 ber. The Majority, viz. twelve, including the Chairman, 

 out of twenty-three members with many reservations 

 by Mr. Cautley recommended : 



" That whilst the producer should be allowed an unrestricted 

 market for his produce, that for the grain crops of 1920 and subse- 

 quent years the guarantees be calculated from year to year on a 

 sliding scale based on the average bare costs of cereal production of 

 the preceding year, rent being disregarded for this purpose ; and 

 that the datum line to which increases or decreases in the average 

 costs of the 1920 grain crops above or below those of 1919 

 should be applied, shall be 68s. per quarter of 504 Ib. of wheat, 

 595. per quarter of 448 Ib. of barley, and 465. per quarter of 

 336 Ib. of oats. 



" That the guarantees be continued until Parliament 

 otherwise decides, subject to not less than four years' notice 

 of withdrawal being given." 



