OUR FOOD SUPPLY IN TIME OF WAR 325 



from abroad, and would affect the consumer at home 

 to a very slight degree, if at all. 



This would be a workable scheme, and would secure 

 its object under a system of occupying ownership, be- 

 cause the farmer would then be quite sure that if 

 he grew wheat and kept it till Midsummer, the 8s. per 

 quarter premium would go into his own pocket. As 

 a tenant, however, the chances are that it would not, 

 but would go to pay an increased rent. Consequently 

 the inducement to grow wheat, much less to store it, 

 would not exist. Sir Richard Cooper contends that 

 this would not be the case. It would probably not be 

 with him, and with many other landlords ; but, speak- 

 ing generally, there can be but little doubt that it 

 would be so, 



Mr. Mansell, a farmer and land-agent, in his evidence 

 before the Royal Commission, when asked (Q. 8656) 

 if landlords would be likelv to take an unfair advantaee 

 in case a bonus were given, replied : " I do not think 

 so ; that is a bogey which is largely put forward. 

 There may be some landlords who would, but I think 

 the majority of the landlords are certainly too patriotic 

 to do that. I think the better class of landlords would 

 not, but there may be some men who would." 



It is frequently stated that even the relief given by 

 the Agricultural Rating Act will find its way ultimately 

 into the pocket of the landlord, but there is no evidence 

 whatever that this is likely to be the case ; the relief 

 is too small and indirect to warrant any rise in rents. 

 But Sir Richard Cooper's proposals are of quite a 

 different kind. They involve the continual payment 

 of very large sums to the tenant farmer, sums large 

 enough to enable him to grow corn, and to store it, at 

 a profit to himself. This would inevitably lead to a 



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