State Aid 



obtains the services and supervision of local 

 people. In 1907 there were eleven of these large 

 institutions running, whose 2,755 loans came to 

 .£425,925, divided into sums ranging from .£50 

 to several thousands. Now this is very interesting 

 and points out a great need in England. Farmers 

 as a rule are honest, substantial, and trustworthy. 

 Although banks cannot give much credit to any- 

 one of them, they can safely lend on the security 

 of a number bound together, especially when 

 they know the members of that union are satisfied 

 as to each other's integrity and stability. The 

 Farmers' Union should press for the establish- 

 ment of Raffeisen banks for small men and agri- 

 cultural banks for the large men on the above 

 system. It would solve a vital and ever-pressing 

 problem. 



In our usual blundering way we are tackling 

 the division of land at the wrong end. Having 

 realized that it is an absolute necessity we are 

 going the most expensive and slowest way to 

 work by purchasing farms as they fall into the 

 market. If we reformed our idiotic registration 

 laws, and abolished useless fees so that land 

 could be bought and sold freely, we would do 

 a useful stroke. The expense of purchasing small 

 plots is almost prohibitive at present, as many know 

 to their cost. The abuse cries aloud for reform. 



163 M2 



