3io ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



neighbours ; and the younger men through the ordeal of 

 battle had learnt much from the mill-hand and the miner. 



As more and more labourers became demobilised and 

 returned to their homes, after the feeling of relief of being 

 discharged from military service had evaporated and they 

 looked for the cottage with an orchard or a few acres of 

 land which had been promised them, and found it not, 

 a new feeling took possession of them a feeling of bitter 

 disappointment. Had they then fought in vain ? Were 

 they only to return to the overcrowded, insanitary cot- 

 tage and be subject to be treated as a trespasser if they 

 strayed off the road ? The Government pointed to the 

 60,000 acres they were in the course of acquiring for settling 

 soldiers, but even so, 60,000 acres could only settle 6,000 

 if we allot 10 acres to every man. 



The scheme on paper was a good one, it was true. 1 

 The Government had, strange to relate, thought of making 

 those colonies attractive to the wives and daughters. There 

 were to be good schools, institutes, sports, dances, and even 

 telephones and motor services. But what about a man who 

 did not want to live in a colony in some distant county, 

 and craved to live where all his friends were, in his native 

 village ? To provide for these County Councils were speeded 

 up ; and as much land was acquired in a year as it had taken 

 County Councils ten years to acquire ; which proved, at any 

 rate, that the critics of County Councils were right in blaming 

 them for their supinencss in the past. The Land Settle- 

 ment (Facilities) Act was passed giving the County 

 Councils further compulsory powers. 



County Councils are now buying estates large enough to 

 encourage co-operation amongst the settlers, but they still 

 have to pay the landlord's price, which has advanced 30 

 per cent. ,40 per cent, or even 50 per cent. The trouble is 

 that after a few years have passed ex-soldiers will be called 



1 Credit should be given to Sir Harry Vcrncy and his Committee for 

 drafting the scheme f('d. 8i8j). The absurd limitations as to borrowing 

 necessary capital embodied in the 1916 Act have now been broadened 

 (Vide l-'it-t Adriie to \\'i>i<ld-be I-'anncrs by F. K. Green. Country Life 

 Library. 



