The Rural Labourer 



for his children. 



It will perhaps be easiest to illustrate my 

 meaning by roughly outlining ideal conditions 

 in which all these opportunities would be pro- 

 vided for the rural labourer, an ideal at all 

 events not impracticable, and one which has 

 been found capable of realisation in other 

 countries. 



This ideal, in fact, only sketches out what 

 it is possible to do by scientifically organis- 

 ing the rural population and the agricultural 

 industry. 



Education is the basis. 



The type of instruction given in rural schools 

 has been remodelled ; it has become more 

 practical, more manual ; it expresses itself in 

 terms of daily life. Facilities for continuation 

 classes exist, farm schools have been created, 

 every encouragement is given to the scholars 

 to improve themselves. 



The teachers, seeing that access to land has 

 been made easy, and that, in consequence, the 

 country youth has something to look forward 

 to, spare no pains in instilling into the minds 

 of their pupils a love of the country and of 

 country life. They teach them that the 

 country is the natural and most healthy habitat 

 of man, and that life in the country is cheaper 

 than in the town. Further, that if they settle 

 in colonies, and as the country population in- 



133 



