166 OUR ENGLISH LAND MUDDLE. 



tions for the farmer and the grazier. The State 

 keeps up agricultural colleges where young men 

 may be trained as farmers, graziers, fruit growers. 

 Farmers in search of land may travel on the 

 railways free. Agricultural societies — which hold 

 yearly shows, the great " fairs " of the country — 

 are subsidized pound for pound on their members' 

 subscriptions. " Schools of arts " in the rural dis- 

 tricts, which keep up reading rooms, circulating 

 libraries, and — yes — card and billiard rooms, are 

 subsidized by the State. Country hospitals get 

 free land and often a free building from the 

 State, and are subsidized pound for pound on the 

 subscriptions they raise, besides receiving direct 

 payment for all poor patients. Country schools 

 are maintained absolutely free. In some thinly 

 populated districts, the State provides vehicles 

 for the transport of children to and from the 

 schools ; it practically always provides school 

 children free railway carriage. In one State it 

 will pay part of the cost of a private tutor or 

 governess in a rural district, when it is impos- 

 sible to get the children to a State school. 



As to taxation, the land pays no tithes, of 

 course, since there is no State Church. It pays 



