191 



CHAPTER XX 



State Aid for Agriculture — Equilibrium in the 

 Labour Markets 



THE greatest of all our industries is the land 

 and we may turn the enormous potential power 

 that we find latent there into a mighty living force, that 

 will carry us along to marvellous prosperity undreamed 

 of to-day. 



The lives of hundreds of thousands of our weary toilers 

 are saddened and overshadowed by the ever-present 

 consciousness that, because of the precariousness of la- 

 bour, they may lose their employment at any moment. 

 Let us remove this dread and give them cheerfulness and 

 hope. 



Millions of our tax-payers are conscious of the fact 

 that, owing to our insane fiscal system, their money is 

 spent to no purpose but to encourage and support indus- 

 trial workers in other countries at the expense of paupe- 

 rising our own people. If we emancipate our tax-payers 

 from this intolerable position by building up our own 

 industries, finding work for our own people, and creating 

 and developing general prosperity, we shall reduce the 

 necessity for taxation — at all events, ' ' Poor Relief ' ' taxa- 

 tion — and at least lessen their burden to that extent. 



We must declare in no uncertain manner that our 

 lands shall be worked and our people employed, and 

 that, as we are perfectly aware this cannot be done 



