HOW OUR rUBUC MEN MISS THE WAY 113 



The Tories will not have drastic land reform because of 

 their vested interests ; the Liberals will not bring it in because 

 they fear they might be unseated in the process ; the Labourites 

 never refer to it as forming a prominent part of their reform 

 programme because, in their fight with Capitalism, their eyes 

 are blinded to facts ; and the Socialists will only have it 

 provided they can " boss the show " by forcing holders, small 

 or great, to become State tenants at will. 



And so Demos, instead of reigning as sovereign, postures 

 as — slave. 



Mr. Balfour's Extraordinary Contention 



We might here consider Mr. Balfour's extraordinary 

 statement that — 



"They (the Government) increased the difficulty by bringing 

 people, in the ordinary phrase, back to the land," etc. 



Now, of all charges that may be brought against the 

 party, this surely is the most remarkably illogical one that 

 could be devised. How are we to have agriculture unless we 

 begin by putting people on the land ? 



How are we to increase and develop it unless we supply 

 it with workers ? 



How are we to have our manufacturing industries unless 

 we build our factories and put " hands " into them. And how 

 are we to increase our existing industries and trades unless 

 we send to them the necessary complement of labour ? 



To predict difficulties in agriculture because we supply 

 that industry with one of the essentials to success — labour — is, 

 ceteris paribus, to prophesy evil to our manufacturing industries, 

 because we supply them with the necessary workers. Mr, 

 Balfour cannot blow hot and cold with the same breath. 

 Agriculture, like every other industry in this world, must 

 take its chance, and bear its ups and downs like everything 

 else in life. What we have to do is to start it on its way, 

 give it every chance of success, and then let it run alone. 

 Mr. Balfour and his Party need have no misgivings on this 

 point, because agriculture is not only capable of drawing off 

 all those who are unemployed to-day, but millions of the 

 population of this country besides. 



There is, however, a note in ]\[r. Balfour's utterance that 

 is far more alarming than his ill-grounded predictions about 

 difficulties arising through sending the people " back to the 

 laml," and that is the baneful eftect of his own policy when 

 he and his Party aro again in power. 



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