Land Problems and National Welfare 



freeholders. Though the interests of agricul- 

 ture have always been nearest his heart — believ- 

 ing as he does a flourishing agriculture to be 

 essential to the welfare of the nation — he has 

 ever shown himself an imperialist in the truest 

 and best sense of the word ; he has consistently 

 put the welfare of the people before the interests 

 of party. 



At last, after a hard struggle of upwards of 

 half a century, he has lived to see the Unionist 

 Party definitely accept his policy for facilitat- 

 ing the purchase of land by occupiers of all 

 descriptions. 



The old proverb says, " Better late than 

 never," but it yet remains to be seen if the 

 Unionist party have not delayed too long in 

 listening to Mr. Collings' advice. 



It remains to be seen if the nation at large 

 will now give the time to carry out a policy of 

 land reform which ought to have been begun 

 years ago ; or whether the Liberal party, with 

 their counter policy of nationalizing the land, 

 will not upset the Unionist schemes. 



The condition of the rural labourer was 

 possibly at its lowest ebb during the years 

 immediately preceding Joseph Arch's move- 

 ment. Rural labourers were then so wretchedly 

 paid that foreign writers used to point to the state 

 of the farm labourer as a disgrace to England. 

 The wages of urban workmen had been rising 



ii8 



