AN ENQUIRY. 29 



Pehmanent Pasture. 



lu 186G (the first year official figures were avail- 

 able), there were in Great Britain only 11,148,814 

 acres of permanent pasture. 



In 1903 there were 16,934,495 acres of per- 

 manent pasture. 



The figures mean that in less than 40 years 

 over 100,000 adult able-bodied labourers have 

 had to seek employment in the towns ; or (with 

 only three children in each family) that 500,000 

 people have left the land in less than 40 years. 

 If we go back to Cobden's time, the number 

 (from 1851 to 1901 — the last Census) comes up 

 to the enormous total of 916,347 persons. 



Bread and Meat Imports : an Important Point. 



The Alleged Cheajmess. 



The adoption of the free-imports system in 

 1846 did not, and could not, have immediately 

 lowered the price of wheat and flour and 

 cheapened the price of bread. In proof of this 

 it is only necessary to give the following tables 

 of figures, which are official and accurate. 



The first table gives (a) the actual price of 

 wheat in the year before the Corn Law was 

 repealed; (b) the average price for the six years 

 1845 to 1850 (inclusive); and (c) the average 

 price for the six years 1850 to 1855 (inclusive) : — 



Years. 



(a) 1845 



(6) 6 years, 1845 to 1850 

 (c) 6 years, 1850 to 1855 



Prices. 



50s. lOd. per quarter, 

 51s. 8id. 

 53s. 34d. 



