Land Problems and National Welfare 



the different United Associations, or that some 

 suitable person, unconnected with any of the 

 societies, be asked to preside. 



The consolidation of the agricultural societies 

 being effected in a greater or less degree, the next 

 problem is, how to increase the power of the 

 agricultural industry in Parliament ? 



The first requirement — one might almost say 

 the sole requirement — is money. Every farmer 

 who subscribes to an agricultural society should 

 also subscribe to a parliamentary fund, managed 

 by an executive resident in London and chosen 

 from the respective societies. 



Secondly, we must have agricultural candi- 

 dates. I am not advocating the formation of an 

 independent agricultural party, but I insist upon 

 the necessity of the rural constituencies being 

 represented by practical agriculturists, or, at 

 least, by men who have studied land problems, 

 and not, as now, by townsmen unversed in the 

 needs of the country, or by eldest sons who take 

 no interest in land. 



But until a parliamentary fund can be created 

 little can be done in this direction ; the party 

 leaders and whips will continue to dismiss 

 agriculturists with goodly words, in their hearts 

 accounting them but men of straw. 



With a parliamentary fund of even ^15,000 

 a year and proper local organisation things would 

 be very different ; the attitude of political associa- 



276 



