THE QUACK AND THE LAND. 21 



and their soundness is still a matter of some 

 controversy. In the strongly held opinion of a 

 school of economists that still survives, the less 

 political interference that there is with the 

 ordinary processes of industry, the better both 

 for the industry and for the community. But 

 in no civilization has it ever been successfully 

 held by any school of political thought that the 

 disposition and use of the land was a matter 

 affecting solely employers and employed on the 

 land, in which the community at large had no 

 interest. 



Landowners and workers on the land must 

 therefore resign themselves to the fact that 

 they have to carry on their industry to some de- 

 gree in co-operation with the community, and 

 that means in co-operation with the politicians. 

 Landowners may deplore the existence of the 

 ignorant quack who, because he has a gift of 

 engaging speech and some vague sentimental 

 ideas regarding the land, can exercise great 

 influence on the fate of an industry about the 

 practical side of which he knows nothing ; but 

 they cannot despise him safely. They must 

 meet him in his own field of politics ; patiently 



