Some Present-Day Policies. 5' 



easily worked. They must also have good access to 

 markets." 



What is generally overlooked in considering the pro- 

 ductivity of small holdings is the economic cost involved. 

 The small holder as a rule vi^orks harder than the agricul- 

 tural labourer, and he works longer hours. The women 

 and children have also to work. If there were any means 

 of comparing the labour cost of the production of small 

 holdings, it is incontrovertible that in terms of human 

 labour the production on small holdings is more costly 

 than on large. The small holder works with less capital, 

 for if he had more he would not be a small holder. He 

 cannot economically employ labour-saving machinery. 

 He has to produce his returns by the intensive application 

 of human labour, and I submit that from the wider stand- 

 point that is not the most productive use to make of human 

 labour. The progress of civilisation depends on increasing 

 the production of wealth per unit of human labour em- 

 ployed. It is only thus that the necessary surplus can 

 become available for a richer life for the whole community. 



That this radical defect of the system of small holdings 

 is recognised is shown by the effort to create colonies of 

 small holdings, so that the occupiers may co-operate in 

 the use of labour-saving machinery, and in buying and 

 selling. The difficulties are not to be waived aside by 

 reference to what is done in Denmark, by a people com- 

 pelled by the lack of indutrial resources to make the most 

 of agriculture, working under conditions of soil and 

 climate much more homogeneous than in this country, 

 and working for an export market, in milk, pig, and 

 poultry products. The conditions are vastly different. 



