COMPULSORY SALE OF LAND 231 



stances, the land of a certain country happens, in the ^o National 

 course of time, to get into the hands of a few ovMiers, who, Suffer? 

 owing to economic conditions, or for other reasons, can- 

 not, or will not, cultivate it in a manner to ensure the 

 best results to the Nation, it follows, as an incontrovert- 

 ible fact, that national interests must suffer. 



If national interests suffer from such a cause, it is the 

 manifest duty of the State to take such steps as may be 

 necessary to ensure a return to those conditions under 

 which national prosperity may be re-established and 

 maintained. 



This, in a nutshell, is the precise condition of our land 

 industry to-day. 



The land of our country has, for certain reasons, which 

 need not be referred to here, got into the hands of a few 

 men who cannot, or will not, cultivate it in a manner to 

 ensure the best results to the Nation, and unless this con- 

 dition be changed, the country will continue to suffer 

 immense loss from neglect of this, its greatest industry. 



It has been shown in these pages how colossal this loss 

 is, and how it ramifies among all sections of the people ; 

 how the taxable area of the country has been reduced by 

 the blighting effect of the decay of a great industry ; and 

 how Government is forced to rely more and more on 

 direct taxation of a galling and, in some cases, of an un- 

 just nature, because of this restricted area. It is seen how 

 the heavy pauper burden has become intolerable 

 because the land can neither employ nor feed the people, 

 and, therefore, a clear case is established in favour of 

 reform, and reform of a drastic nature. 



Let us look at the matter from the landlords' stand- 



