4 Agriculture and the Community). 



twenty years of the igth century changed the methods of 

 cultivation but made Httle impression on the main Hnes of 

 the structure of the industry. 



The system of land tenure In this country and the 

 organisation of the agricultural industry have not 

 developed without criticism. The criticism has generally 

 been directed towards the excessive depopulation of the 

 rural districts and the degradation of the social condition 

 of the farm worker. Such criticism has, however, been 

 sporadic, and until recent years did not result in any or- 

 ganised effort by the community to alter the relations of 

 landlord, tenant and worker. Despairing efforts were 

 made from time to time by the workmen to better their 

 position, but against the power of the landowners and the 

 farmers and in face of the indifference of the general com- 

 munity, these efforts made little impression. Minor 

 changes in the relations between the landlords and the 

 tenants in the direction of limiting the power of the land- 

 owner by giving security for the capital of the tenants, 

 were introduced. So long, however, as the community 

 secured an abundant supply of cheap food from abroad, 

 it concerned itself very little with the agricultural industry 

 and left the classes immediately interested to settle their 

 relations between themselves without making any demands 

 on the industry. There were signs in the earlier years 

 of this century that the indifference of the community was 

 giving place to a critical attitude towards the industry 

 and there was a tendency to make demands upon it in the 

 public interest. The right of the landowners to control 

 the use of land as seemed best to them was being chal- 

 lenged. The use being made of the land by the farmers 



I 



