Land Problems and National Welfare 



principle that the fair balance must be kept 

 between consumer and producer. If there be 

 no demand there can be no supply, but it is 

 just this balance that has with us been dis- 

 astrously upset by the over-development of 

 urban interests at the cost of rural. As this 

 policy has attracted too much capital and too 

 many people to certain urban industries, so has 

 it forced these industries in many cases to over- 

 produce. Here I must refer the reader to M. 

 Meline, who deals admirably with the subject. 



If land be one of the nation's greatest assets, 

 then Free Trade has reduced the capital value 

 of that asset by ^/^ 1,500,000,000.* 



This huge sum must in fairness be deducted 

 from that increase in our manufactures which 

 Free Traders claim as the result of their policy, 

 but which was chiefly caused by the big head 

 start we enjoyed through our position during 

 many years of manufacturing supremacy. 



One of the chief claims advanced for Free 

 Trade by its advocates is that it gives the 

 people cheap food — but does it ? We must not 

 forget the middleman, and particularly the 

 enormous development of that class in England 



Several different authorities have worked out this figure. 



According to Sir Inglis Palgrave the loss is made up as follows : — 

 Diminution in Owner's Capita' £1,000,000,000 

 ,, ,, Farmer's Capital 100,000,000 



,, ,, Farmer's Profits 500,000,000 



Total £'1,600,000,000 



200 



