THE ONLY POSSIBLE CONCLUSIONS 253 



which, under other and better conditions, would un- 

 doubtedly come from prosperous agriculture. 



It has been clearly shown that the agricultural and 

 fiscal policy of the country for the last half-century has 

 been bringing ruin and unemployment to the people, 

 and that the affairs of the Nation have been so badly 

 managed that it has been involved in heavy financial 

 losses and widespread poverty and degradation in con- 

 sequence. Indeed, the need for drastic change has been 

 so fully illustrated that it is only necessary now to make 

 some practical suggestions, which, if adopted, may per- 

 haps help to remedy the existing evils and to bring about 

 some of those long-wanted reforms, which should lead the 

 people back into the ways of peace, plenty, and prospe- 

 rity, from which they have been so sadly straying. 



Without the great land industry, trades, manufac- 

 tures and professions alone cannot support and emplo}' 

 the entire working population of the country. Without 

 any other State aid than the amendment of our fiscal 

 system, the State encouragement of general agriculture, 

 and co-operation with other industries, trades and manu- 

 factures, they could maintain themselves in a state of 

 active and progressive prosperity. A system of general 

 agriculture would absorb so large a portion of our work- 

 ing population that an equilibrium would be set up 

 between the supply and demand for labour, which would 

 mean greater independence and better wages for the 

 workers. The land industry, without other State aid than 

 suitable land tenures, a practical scheme of small 

 proprietary holdings, an amended fiscal system, and con- 

 sistent encouragement to general agriculture, would be 



