A National Folic}). 65 



up against the difficulties created by private property in 

 land. The tension increases daily and is felt in many 

 directions, and it is only a matter of time before the 

 pressure becomes so great that the logical step has to be 

 taken. But nationalisation of the land is not merely an 

 agricultural problem ; it is much wider and involves other 

 industries, and wider social problems. We cannot, in 

 agriculture, afford to wait for the land to be nationalised 

 before we set to work to improve the industry. We must, 

 however, definitely make up our minds whether or not the 

 land is to be considered as a national asset in which the 

 community has the predominant overriding interest, and 

 before which private interests have to give way. My 

 contention is that we must proceed frankly on the basis 

 that we are always to consider agricultural land as the raw 

 material of the agricultural industry, and that no private 

 interests are to be allowed to divert it to uses less 

 advantageous to the community. If we are to allow the 

 vested interests of private individuals to take precedence 

 of the needs of the community we cannot hope to make any 

 real progress. 



I have stressed the need for an altered attitude towards 

 our use of land and our conduct of the industry because it 

 is fundamental to any consideration of the methods to be 

 adopted in dealing with the industry. There may be room 

 for differences of opinion as to the best means to be 

 adopted to attain certain ends in agriculture, but unless 

 there is common ground in the main purpose we have in 

 view, there can be little profit in discussing proposals for 

 administration or organisation. The nation must first will 



