CHAPTER XVI 



RISKS TO THE STATE AND OTHER 

 OBJECTIONS 



Having described the provisions of the two parts of 

 the Land Purchase Bill (Occupying Ownership and 

 Peasant Proprietary), it becomes necessary to see how 

 the provisions of the Bill, if put into operation, would 

 affect, not only the parties immediately concerned, but 

 the interests of the general community, and also to 

 consider some of the objections to the measure which 

 have been put forward. 



It has recently been stated by a prominent member 

 of the present Ministry that the " Land Purchase Bill 

 would involve too great a risk to the State for the 

 Government to undertake." It can hardly be expected 

 that this statement will be regarded as satisfactory or 

 final. In dealing with the question of risk there is 

 one consideration which claims a foremost place, 

 namely, the position of the country in the time of war. 

 If it can be shown that the probable, or even the 

 possible result of the operation of the Bill would be 

 to increase the supply of home-grown food so that it 

 would be sufficient, without supplies from abroad, to 

 feed the people even for a few months, instead of 

 being exhausted, as under the present system it would 

 be, in as many weeks, then, from the point of view of 

 national defence alone it would be a wise policy for 

 the State to take any small money risk which may be 

 involved in carrying out the measure. 



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