Land Problems and National Welfare 



From the point of view of scientific cultivation, 

 perhaps, the common land was not being put to 

 the best use, but an effort might have been 

 made to improve its treatment. It was not 

 necessary to dispossess the labouring class. 

 Had the government of the day possessed fore- 

 sight they would have stayed their hand and 

 not have allowed a large class having no con- 

 nection with the land to come into existence, 

 thus increasing that great danger to the stability 

 of society, a landless proletariat. 



But apart from this point of view the policy 

 was of itself an unrighteous one, for it was the 

 robbery of the poor legalized by Acts of Parlia- 

 ment. 



It is remarkable that during the period in 

 which this disastrous policy was pursued in 

 England, a contrary course was being adopted 

 in many continental countries, and peasant 

 ownership was created or increased. In Prussia 

 the great landowners made an attempt to 

 swallow up the small proprietors, but the king 

 and his great minister. Stein, were too wise 

 to allow the movement to make headway. 



We do not study as we should the history of 

 land and of the tillers of the soil. In the 

 ordinary history courses too much attention 

 is given to long strings of facts which are 

 soon forgotten, and not sufficient time is 

 allotted to the lessons which these facts teach, 



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