302 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



ment. Spending less at public-houses, so one would say, 

 is desirable still. Morally there was " an added feeling 

 of independence and self-respect." And the creation of a 

 peasant proprietary was one of the main points called for 

 in the agricultural labourers' interest by Joseph Arch's 

 Union. There is a perfect " cloud of witnesses " in favour 

 of this simple concession, which, in truth, needs no argument 

 to be advanced in its favour, since it quite sufficiently 

 speaks for itself by its plain sensibleness, not to speak of 

 the examples set in other countries. 



No doubt, under circumstances, and to a certain extent, 

 the holding might become an inconvenient pledge to the 

 man to remain where he is, such as an unscrupulous employer 

 might exploit for purposes of oppression. The chances 

 of that occurring are, however, decidedly remote. And 

 after all, in such cases as that suggested, the houseless, 

 landless labourer, liable to be turned out into the street, 

 would be worse off still. Even though we should succeed 

 in settling thousands of discharged soldiers on the land, 

 many of them to become labourers, there is not likely to 

 be such a plethora of labour offering as to give the employer 

 the absolute whip hand under essentially altered circum- 

 stances. And the more independent position secured by 

 the labourer would more than balance such chances. Mean- 

 while we may expect other influences to do their humanising 

 work, wiping out old prejudices and misconceptions bred 

 by long habit. With technical education doing its work — 

 more especially if Sir J. Caird's prescription is followed and 

 landlords as well as farmers cut their territorial coat more 

 nearly according to their financial cloth, seeking profit 

 rather than sufficiency of working capital than from exag- 

 geratedly extended acreage — labour, highly skilled labour 

 too, is sure to be in greater demand than it has been. It 

 is money to-day which " makes the mare to go," which 

 produces the paying crop ; money which markets it to 

 the best effect. And intensive cultivation means not less 

 but more labour, and labour of the most capable sort, 

 therefore calling for the best remuneration. That, once 

 more, necessarily means more employment and better 



