LAND TENURES 271 



of a house, wo will say, is likely to do so much for it as he who 

 is an owucr ; there is an iudeliuable somcLhiiuj in the term which 

 prevents him, and there the matter ends. The agriculturist 

 can no more put his life, his very self, and that of his wife and 

 family, into a farm of which he is a tenant, tlian the liouse- 

 holder can; it goes against human nature somehow, and tliere 

 the matter ends so far as he is concerned. 



Whichever way the " rental " system be looked at, it stands 

 condemned; in fact, it condemns itself: and the people of tliis 

 country sliould make u}) their mind on this })oint for good and 

 aye, and allow no consideration to alter it. 



EouGii Outline of New Laxd-Tenuke Scheme 



It now becomes necessary to brielly outline some scheme 

 that will approximate to the one which this country must 

 ultimately adopt before British agriculture can assume its 

 rightful position in the economy of the nation. 



Every acre of agricultural land in Great Britain should be 

 acquired and held by the State for the benefit of the nation. 

 It should be taken from the present owners at a fair valuation, 

 and then made over to capable agriculturists on equitable terms 

 that would admit of a fair immediate return, and tiie acipiisitiun 

 of the freehold on reasonable conditions. This must be done 

 by an Act of Parliament. 



This Act might follow to some extent the Irish Land Act 

 of 190-t, but with many important and far-reaching provisions 

 added thereto ; for example, the State should, in this case, 

 coiiipulsorilij take over every acre of cultivable land in the 

 country and hold it in trust for the benefit of the nation. In 

 other words, the laud should be regarded as a National 

 Inheritance, and be held as such for the commonweal. Any 

 other measures of a paltering, half-hearted nature would but 

 deal with this broad National question in a pusillanimous 

 spirit and prostitute a great cause to sordid ends. 



The State must LEAD 



There should be a universal system of agriculture from one 

 end of Great Britain to the other, and the State should take the 

 lead everywhere. This would be an entire reversal of its present 

 policy in dealing with the industries of the people, but agricul- 

 ture is the exception which proves the rule. Indeed, it is so in 

 every country in Europe, the State has always taken the lead 

 in those countries, and the result is — umfoDnli/ successful ayri- 

 culture of the hiyhest order. Every civilised country but our 



