SMALL HOLDINGS. 91 



subsidies already provided, has paid yet the 

 sum of the actual cost. To attempt to imitate 

 the Irish system in England would be, I think, 

 a very grave mistake. 



With, then, one political party in England 

 committed to a Small Holdings Act which does 

 not add materially to the number of small 

 landowners, and proposing so far nothing better, 

 and the other nibbling at an imitation of the 

 Irish system, the prospects for a sound ex- 

 tension of small holdings in England do not 

 seem very promising. Has it to be concluded 

 then, as Mr. Lloyd-George seems to think now, 

 that any peasant proprietary is impossible in 

 England ? 



Before venturing my own conclusion, I wish 

 to quote some typical views expressed to me by 

 English landholders and cultivators. In no case 

 do I give the name of the speaker, because 

 several stipulated that their names should not 

 be published, for various reasons — " because 

 they were merely agents for principals " ; ' be- 

 cause they disliked publicity, and were willing 

 to give information, but not willing to figure 

 as ' experts,' " and for other reasons. 



