396 CORRELATION OF BODIES 



demand. This is the justification for an artificial 

 creation of holdings, in spite of those evils which 

 follow in its train evils which would not arise if 

 the supply of holdings was left to the free play of 

 supply and demand on commercial lines. The only 

 way to minimize these evils is by framing our 

 methods of artificial creation to approximate as 

 closely as possible to a natural supply. This is not 

 done by ' making definite experiments.' It is done 

 by giving that * variety of initiative ' and that 

 elasticity of method which would be gained by 

 increased powers to the various Local Authorities, 

 each dealing with its own demand, with a full 

 knowledge of its own local conditions and require- 

 ments. 



At the same time, the question of rural repopula- 

 tion being a national one, the action of a Central 

 Authority is called for, and the use of national 

 funds ; but as surely as this Central Authority is 

 required to make the action of Local Authorities 

 effective for the nation, so is the help of Local 

 Authorities required to make the work of the 

 Central Authority effective for the district. 



