2 3 o RURAL DENMARK 



our own, especially if that something is a bit of our 

 mother earth. 



On the subject of the proportion of capital that 

 should be put up by the State small-holder himself, 

 among all those with whom I spoke on the matter in 

 Denmark, from Mr. Waage down, there seemed to be 

 but one opinion. Individually and collectively they 

 declared that it ought to be raised from the present 

 tenth to a fifth or a third. It will be noted, however, 

 that in the article in the Jyllandsposten to which I 

 have referred (see Appendix D), it is stated that "the 

 Government proposed that the agricultural worker 

 should possess one-fifth of the value of the property, 

 but the Folkething, or Parliament, would have the 

 amount reduced to a tenth, and won ! " 



This would seem to show, although I dtd not come 

 in contact with it, that there exists a body of opinion 

 in Denmark which approves of the proportion that is 

 demanded at present. If so, I cannot agree with this 

 view. Like Mr. Waage and the others with whom I 

 discussed the question, I hold strongly that one-tenth 

 of the purchase price is far too small a proportion to 

 be demanded from the small-holder. Personally I 

 consider that he should be able to show that he is in 

 possession of not less than one-third, and I earnestly 

 hope that if ever this Danish system, or anything like 

 it, should be adopted in Great Britain, the Govern- 

 ment will insist upon this condition. If it does not 

 it will, I believe, imperil the success of its scheme, and 

 expose the State to the risk if not to the certainty 

 of loss. Nine-tenths of a man's property should not 

 consist of debt if he wishes to make a success of the 

 business upon which he is engaged. 



Let us suppose whenever the Unionist party 



