The Land and the Empire 



great work of counteracting the influence of 

 this false teaching, and of creating — and adapt- 

 ing from foreign schools of Political Economy — 

 a new theory of Political Economy which would 

 be based on Land. 



If there is no great central body to control 

 and guide the land development of the Empire, 

 and the flow of population, actual chaos will 

 supervene, or at all events without a shadow 

 of doubt one part may gain unduly at the cost 

 of some other part ; or a colony will gain at the 

 cost of the Mother Country, and this will be 

 harmful to the whole Empire. We want a con- 

 structive policy for the Empire as well as a 

 constructive policy for the United Kingdom. 

 With such a policy the solidarity of the Empire 

 will be secured, together with the even de- 

 velopment of the Empire in all its component 

 parts. 



A preferential tariff must needs form an 

 important feature in any constructive imperial 

 policy. Imperial defence is another which I am 

 glad to see is receiving much attention. A third 

 point of vast importance is the inter-relation of 

 the systems of education — this also is beginning 

 to be taken into account. 



But the basis of any great policy must be the 

 right dealing with land and the people. Land 

 is of little use without men, and too many 

 people without land are a menace to social 



331 



