Land Problems and National Welfare 



When the Farmers' Unions of Lincolnshire 

 and other counties united into the National 

 Farmers' Union a new phase of existence was 

 entered upon, the work of organisation and 

 administration was greatly increased, and this 

 must increase still more as the Union grows. I 

 sincerely trust that it will prove itself equal to 

 the occasion ; any society which can get to- 

 gether 15,000 farmers in four years is doing a 

 great work for the cause. 



In 1907 a further development in the agricul- 

 tural movement took place — the Central Land 

 Association was formed. While farmers were 

 cordially welcomed, the main object was to 

 create a society which would appeal to land- 

 owners and make them combine. This society, 

 like the Chambers of Agriculture and Farmers' 

 Union, is political and non-party in its character. 

 It is the very antithesis of such a society as 

 the Land and Property Defence Society. Its 

 object is to combine landowners, not for defence 

 qua landowners, but for the advancing in every 

 possible way of the interests of agriculture as an 

 industry. The majority of landowners are not to 

 be found in the Liberal ranks, and the president 

 and chairman of the C.L.A. are prominent 

 Unionists, yet in spite of these circumstances I 

 think that any impartial critic will admit that 

 the society has dealt with Bills affecting 

 agriculture on strictly non-party lines. It grew 



270 



