SMALL HOLDINGS. 71 



party, on the point, it may be in a different 

 tone. But as the matter stands to-day, one 

 party in England must be judged by it, or 

 by the measure for the encouragement of small 

 holdings already standing on the Statute Book, 

 which is a failure. 



The Unionist proposal for dealing with small 

 holdings in England was recently (June 21, 1913) 

 announced by the Marquess of Lansdowne. 

 He said : — 



" I ventured a year ago in a speech which 

 I addressed to the Rural Labourers' League 

 in London — a speech which represented not 

 only my own views, but those of friends 

 who acted with me in public life — I ventured 

 to suggest that the keystone of our policy 

 should be to bring about an increase, and, 

 if possible, large increase, in the number 

 of persons interested in the land not merely 

 as occupiers, but as absolute owners. At 

 this point we find ourselves in entire dis- 

 agreement with our political opponents, as 

 we favour a policy of small holdings, while 

 their policy is a policy of tenancy, as dis- 

 tinguished from a policy of ownership. 



