PREFACE 



IT is not desirable that a servant of the State should 

 publish his opinions on matters which are, or may be in 

 the immediate future, the subject of political debate 

 or legislative action. My excuse for what may be 

 regarded as departing in some particulars from this 

 wise rule is that the views here set out have, to a con- 

 siderable extent, already been printed as evidence 

 before one or other of the Departmental Committees 

 appointed by the President of the Board of Agriculture 

 and presided over by Lord Milner, Sir Harry Verney, 

 and Mr. Henry Hobhouse. But as that evidence was 

 necessarily given piecemeal and did not cover the whole 

 ground, I have felt that I might be allowed to set out, 

 in as coherent a form as I could give it, the whole case 

 for the reorganization of agriculture in order to meet 

 national needs and the situation created by the war. 



The argument here presented may be imperfect, and 

 the concrete proposals may be dismissed as impractical 

 or replaced by others more expedient, but of the need 

 for the adoption by the State of a considered agricul- 

 tural policy for the better utilization of the land of the 

 country I have no shadow of doubt. All that I hope 

 to do is to provide materials for the due consideration 

 of such a policy, and the best I can urge on behalf of 

 my own opinions is that I have endeavoured to be fair 

 and to give due weight to all the evidence available 

 without special pleading with regard to any party or 

 interest. 



My text is the need for an increased production of 

 food at home and the greater employment of men upon 



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