Politics and the Land 



sary to secure the continued prosperity of all 

 other industries; that the agricultural industry 

 must be organised at all costs, and the rural 

 population doubled if that degeneracy of race, 

 of which there are so many signs, is to be 

 effectively remedied. 



I am convinced that in the present crisis we 

 want our leader to hold almost as a religious 

 tenet that the land was made for man and man 

 for the land, and not to listen for a moment to 

 the false suggestion that possibly people are 

 better employed in cities than in the country 

 because in cities there is the opportunity of 

 living more amusing and less monotonous lives. 

 Undoubtedly in cities there may be more excite- 

 ment — unwholesome excitement mostly, and 

 ruinous to health. Country life must be made 

 more attractive — it can be made more attractive 

 when the rulers of the country give their minds 

 to it. Agriculturists are disorganised, their 

 votes do not count. It is distasteful to me to 

 consider mere tactics for catching votes, when 

 such a great subject is before us ; but of this I 

 am full well assured — that the statesman who 

 makes the cause of land his own, and forces a 

 strong constructive policy will play the winning 

 game. 



If a National party is not formed, then 

 agriculturists will have to fall back upon the 

 other alternative — that of increasing their power 



305 Y 



