Political Economy and the Land 



government an object of special care and at- 

 tention. 



Agriculture and all the other industries have 

 prospered : Germany, France, Holland, Den- 

 mark and to an exceptional degree Belgium, 

 have demonstrated how agriculture and manu- 

 factures can be developed side by side. Yet, 

 in spite of these notable demonstrations I have 

 heard cabinet ministers and ex-cabinet ministers 

 declare that it is impossible to be a great 

 agricultural nation as well as a great manu- 

 facturing one. 



How different is the picture presented by 

 England — the producer left to himself to 

 struggle as best he can against unfair dumping 

 from all quarters of the globe ! 



The agricultural producer has not been pro- 

 vided with the best possible education ; no 

 national attempt has been made to induce him 

 to co-operate by giving the incentive of a 

 system of credit banks ; he has had to contend 

 against unduly high railway rates, only reduced 

 in favour of his competitors ! If the producer 

 be the keystone of the social fabric, Free Trade 

 England has not done much to wisely foster 

 and encourage him. 



Though I am emphasizing the importance of 

 the producer, because it seems to me that 

 he has been unduly neglected in England, it 

 would be disastrous to lose sight of the main 



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