176 THE LAND AND ITS PROBLEMS 



of the country will be in a position to put their views 

 forcibly before the Government, before legislation affect- 

 ing their industry is introduced, instead of after ^ as has 

 been the case in the past. Whether the new develop- 

 ments will be successful or not time alone can show ; 

 it will depend largely on the spirit evinced by our farmers, 

 and equally upon the Government keeping good faith 

 and not letting down the farmer — so destroying 

 confidence. 



Whether or not, under the new and revised system of 

 cultivation, the land will prove to be able to pay an 

 economic rental (to whom is not discussed here) and 

 at the same time to pay the high rate of wages now 

 demanded, will depend chiefly on the labourers them- 

 selves, on the amount of work which they give in 

 return for their wage. If this work is economically 

 insuflicient then the land will revert to grass, for the 

 farmer will be unable to afford the wage bill which 

 arable cultivation involves, and we shall see our rural 

 population shrinking still further, with a corresponding 

 lessening in the production of primary wealth. 



In regard to future developments let me recommend 

 the following productions : Lord Selborne's Recon- 

 struction Report (cd. 9079), Leshe Scott's Agricultural 

 Opportunity, and The Future of Our Agriculture, by 

 H. W. Wolff. 



