ITS LESSONS AND ITS WARNINGS 43 



about four, or even less, labourers to look after 

 the stock. By this method he can manage to 

 get about 9s. or 10s. an acre profit for himself. 

 Any land system which allows " ranching " of this 

 kind stands self -condemned. 



The people of this country when they under- 

 stand the matter will not tolerate for long the 

 spectacle of men who are monopolizing large 

 tracts of land which they do not attempt to 

 farm, but who are pursuing a ruinous course both 

 as regards the production of food and the sup- 

 port of the population. It is probable that, at 

 the end of the war, this subject will be dealt 

 with, perhaps in a manner not pleasant to those 

 concerned. Landlords are largely to blame in 

 this matter. If they were to charge their 

 tenants economic rents which in England they 

 very rarely do they would go far to put an 

 end to " ranching." 



In most cases tenants are not allowed to break 

 up grass land without their landlord's consent. 

 In like manner they should be forbidden to lay 

 down arable land to grass, without their land- 

 lord's consent. Landlords themselves should 

 remember that the possession of land is not 

 absolute but conditional ; the chief condition 



