Politics and the Land 



membered that nothing so much strengthens the 

 extreme Socialist party as reforms which end in 

 failure. 



If the moderate men in politics would com- 

 bine, they could bring in reforms with far greater 

 freedom, for though the extreme Radicals and 

 Socialists might not always approve of the 

 social principles embodied in the reform, they 

 would not willingly block the financial proposals, 

 as they are not averse to State expenditure to 

 secure the improvement of social conditions. 



Reform is costly, but the existence and growth 

 of social evils is far more costly. Most reforms 

 can be effected out of income, but the evils of 

 continued neglect of land and of increasing over- 

 crowding in cities, (with consequent degeneracy 

 of the race) — to mention only two — disastrously 

 affect the capital of the nation, for land and the 

 effectiveness of the population are the two great- 

 est national assets. 



This is a most important point for those who 

 deprecate State interference to bear in mind. 



There are also many people who fear not 

 only that State interference but even the 

 attempt at reform will aggravate rather than 

 remedy many of these social evils; above all, 

 that the reform will be of such a character that 

 all sense of responsibility, of duty and inde- 

 pendence will be impaired. 



Well, it is wrong to stand in such fear of any 

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