Land Problems and National Welfare 



bald assertion ; so for the present this point 

 must lie in the lap of the gods. What we have 

 to do is to discuss all these matters with the 

 labourers ; reason them out calmly and dis- 

 passionately, not with any idea of "cajoling" 

 them into believing this or that, but accepting 

 the fact that if met properly they are as clear- 

 headed as other folk. But this must be done 

 now, not during the heat and viciousness en- 

 gendered by elections. It must be, of course, 

 a part of the policy of those who are proposing 

 the formation of an Agricultural Party to advo- 

 cate measures which will benefit the labourers 

 directly, as well as those which will only in- 

 directly touch them. No question will be more 

 popular than Mr. Jesse Collings' Land Purchase 

 Bill, and this must be one of the main planks 

 of our programme. 



NO. 5. — PARTY FEELING TOO DEEPLY ROOTED. 



In the last section the expression was used : 

 " Since the majority of farmers and landowners 

 have been on the Unionist side." I use the words 

 " have been " advisedly, for there are very many 

 men who all their lives have staunchly sup- 

 ported the Conservative Party in the blind 

 belief that they were really the farmers' party, 

 but who had their faith so rudely shaken by the 

 late Government that their allegiance is no 

 longer certain. Some of these might — under 



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