252 THE HIGH COST OF LIVING 



In the five years prior to the war Germany ap- 

 propriated over $200,000,000 in buying and pre- 

 paring farms for settlers. Waste land was reclaimed. 

 In the years prior to 1907 the number of holdings 

 under 5 acres in extent increased by 316,678, while 

 in the same period holdings over 100 acres de- 

 creased by 20,744. It is said that in the neighbor- 

 hood of three-quarters of the agricultural land in 

 the empire is now in small holdings. This work is 

 carried on under a settlement commission. Even 

 the great estates in East Prussia, Posen, and Pome- 

 rania are being parcelled out, much as was done by 

 Stein and Hardenberg a hundred years ago. Speak- 

 ing of this policy, the official report on land settle- 

 ment says: 



"The existence of such large landed estates [as 

 those of East Prussia] not only hinders the national 

 progress of the peasant class, but, greatest evil of 

 all, it is the principal cause of the diminishing popu- 

 lation of agricultural territories, because the work- 

 ing classes, finding no chances of moral or economic 

 improvement, are driven to emigrate to the great 

 cities and manufacturing districts. Scientific re- 

 searches also prove that small farms nowadays are 

 more profitable than large, above all, small live-stock 

 improved farms, the importance of which for the 

 nutriment of the people is constantly increasing. 



''In 1913 the German Government provided for 

 the compulsory purchase of 70,000 acres of land. 

 Speaking of the areas which were subdivided, it was 

 stated: 'Where formerly there had been at one end 



