229 



CHAPTER XXIV 



Compulsory Sale of Land — Will the Landlords 



Suffer? 



NOW we come to the further considerations of, per- 

 haps, the most important hnk in the long chain of 

 lost opportunities. Though there is unanimity of ideas, 

 those ideas are not carried out with that strong impulsive 

 force which makes for, and commands complete success. 



There is a general concensus of opinion among the best 

 authorities on the agricultural condition of Great 

 Britain, that relief from the present intolerable pressure, 

 arising from congested labour markets, is only coming 

 from the land, and they affirm that this can best be 

 brought about by the creation of a number of small 

 holdings. 



They further point out that the surest way of guaran- 

 teeing success and securing high-class culture and the 

 maximum yield from the land is to follow the French 

 and German systems of creating " Occupying Owner- 

 ships." Of this there is no room for doubt, for not only 

 have those countries adopted this system, but it is 

 practically universal in all European countries. 



It is a perfectly sound argument, therefore, as far as it Thorough- 



" ness and 



goes, but unfortunately, like so many of our measures of Complete- 

 public utility, it does not go far enough ; it falls short of required 

 the mark and lacks that one essential to complete success 

 — thoroughness and completeness! 



