THE HOME MARKET 293 



tenant. Mr. Harris seems to recognize this, for he 

 suggests that the bounty "should be withheld from 

 any farm where the landlord attempts unduly to raise 

 the rent." 



He proposes that the tenant should be enabled to 

 appeal to the County Council against any undue exac- 

 tion. But these safeguards involve the principles of 

 " fair rent " and the establishment of land-courts, and 

 are never likely to be adopted. Landlords, therefore, 

 in the case of bounties would act very much like other 

 people. The wealthy among them might possibly 

 allow the advantage to go to their tenants, but this 

 could hardly be expected from those holding an estate 

 for life, and others, who, when they have paid their 

 liabilities, have often little or nothing left for them- 

 selves. Under a system of occupying ownership the 

 case would be totally different. A bounty paid to the 

 cultivating owner, of sufficient amount to enable him 

 to grow wheat at a profit, would secure the object in 

 view. To the extent the operation was carried out, 

 to that extent the food supply would be increased 

 and good employment found for labourers, while the 

 social and political advantages to the community 

 would be well worth the cost. 



As an example, take a limited area, say 200,000 acres, 

 which is about the acreage that went out of wheat 

 cultivation during the single cereal year 1903-4. If 

 wheat were grown in this comparatively small acreage 

 under the conditions named, there would be employ- 

 ment (allowing for machinery) for at least 6000 

 labourers.^ No doubt wages would be increased, but 



' This is reckoning that three men are required for every loo acres in 



wheat more than are required for the same area in grass. This is a 



point on which there is great difference of opinion. Many farmers put 



the number at four, some at five. The Duke of Bedford reckons five 



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