Political Economy and the Land 



months, and then gets only half the value of his 

 labour, whilst the middlemen between them, 

 for a few hours' work, receive half his property! 

 Are the middlemen partners of his, or servants ? 

 He, poor man, being not on the spot, has spent 

 50 per cent, in marketing, while the large retail 

 traders, like the London Stores, require only 15 

 or 16 per cent, for expenses of trading and 

 profit over the whole year. Why are the 

 home counties poor ? This is why : they are 

 condemned to sell in one out of three wholesale 

 markets which are engineered entirely to the 

 profit of Londoners and entirely to the loss of 

 countrymen ! 



"The grievance may be put in a few words : — 

 The rural producers get less than half of the 

 price which the public pay. Moral : ' Serve the 

 public' You cannot ! The State defends the 

 chartered markets." 



233 



