46 Agriculture and the Community. 



adequately finance both the purchase of the land and its 

 cultivation. 



Small Holdings. 



Another policy which has many advocates is that of 

 creating a large number of small holdings. It is a policy 

 particularly favoured by politicians. It lends itself to 

 popular declamation and is easily woven into fine sounding 

 perorations. The orators do not require to condescend to 

 practical schemes, nor do they require to show any 

 working knowledge of the subject. Practical details would 

 disturb the flow of oratory, and knowledge would nip 

 frostily the flowers of speech. When these speeches can 

 be tacked on to the prevailing war emotion and the 

 schemes can be presented as a means of rewarding war 

 heroes, the politician can add that touch of virtuous unction 

 which enables him to resume his seat with a feeling that 

 he has done something that a grateful country should not 

 forget. And above all it is a first-class cry for securing 

 votes, and what more can be said to recommend a policy 

 to a politician? 



It is a policy that appeals to a certain number of farm 

 workers because it offers them an opportunity of escape 

 from their dependent position of wage-earners where 

 avenues to improvement do not exist. It must be remem- 

 bered that the present organisation of agriculture in this 

 country offers few prospects of advance to the workers. 

 A few may hope to rise to positions of bailiffs, foremen or 

 grieves, but it is not often realised how few these oppor- 

 tunities are. In the census of 191 1 we find that in England 

 and Wales 22,141 males were returned as farm bailiffs 



