BRITISH & FOREIGN WHEAT PRODUCTION 149 

 the body-electorate of the country, want to know 

 why? 



They want to know why none of the Governments, 

 formed out of one or the other of those great political 

 sections called " parties," which are elected by the 

 people to serve national interests, have ever found it 

 necessary to point out these truths in a simple, frank^ 

 straightforward manner? They either knew, or did not 

 know, that the agricultural and fiscal policy pursued for 

 the last half-century or more was bringing ruin on the 

 country, and if they knew, it was their business, not 

 ours, to point this out clearly and unmistakably, and to 

 point it out unceasingly. If they knew and remained 

 silent, then they have simply betrayed a great national 

 trust, or if they have referred to the matter in a half- 

 hearted, weak, unconvincing manner, then they can no 

 longer command the confidence of the British people. If 

 they did not know, then they are a sham and a fraud and 

 deserve no place in the national councils. 



These are questions which we find it absolutely essen- 

 tial to ask in our own interests, albeit we ask them 

 with the conviction that no reply will be forthcoming 

 unless we ourselves supply the answer. 



The fact is that Governments have thought on these The Curse 

 subjects, but have never dared to take the necessary AdmLis- 

 steps to relieve the position, because of the bitter opposi- tration 

 tion of the party out of power. The curse of our ad- 

 ministration is that every measure, however good it may 

 be, is made the subject of fierce strife, and it is impossible 

 to carry through Parliament any useful national 

 measure without encountering the unrelenting hostility 



