THE LAND AND TARIFFS. 207 



leave the landowner in peace to reap the fruits 

 of the better times that have followed a period 

 of acute depression, all would be well." But, 

 he maintained, there must be no more taxation 

 and no more interference. 



It would not be possible, he said, in answer to 

 a question, to pay higher wages, to keep the 

 same class of labour as now, and to continue to 

 make farming pay. He paid his labourers 12s. 

 a week in wages, but their actual earnings were 

 16s. 4d. a week all told ; and they had their 

 cottages at Is. a week rent, which might be 

 counted as an extra 2s. 6d. a week in wages. 

 If wages were raised by legislative decree, then 

 the course he would adopt would be to dispense 

 with the less useful of his workers, and to insist 

 on more work from the others. At present 

 agriculture would not permit of a higher rate 

 of reward for the work done. Summarized, the 

 position taken up by this gentleman amounted 

 to this : " Leave the land alone. I have farmed 

 for twenty-five years, and I can make it pay if 

 I am left alone. I do not want a tariff, which 

 would make a reason for more interference. I 

 look to the natural increase in the price of 



