330 STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL CHAP. 



is not sufficiently recognized that the use of land for the 

 creation of healthy and happy homes is far higher than its 

 use as a mere wealth-producing agent, in which latter 

 aspect alone it has hitherto been chiefly viewed. To get 

 the greatest benefit from the land of a country it is 

 essential that every inhabitant should be, as far as 

 possible, free to live where he pleases ; and to attain this 

 end the right to hold land for profit should always be 

 subordinate to the right to occupy it as a home. 



To carry these principles into effect, and to allow 

 population to spread freely over the whole country, it is 

 essential that all who desire a permanent home should have 

 a right of free selection (once in their lives) of a plot of 

 land for this purpose. A limit might be placed to the 

 quantity so taken in proportion to the density of the 

 population near towns perhaps half an acre, in the country 

 an acre or more. Such choice should of course be limited to 

 agricultural or waste land, and, at first, to such land as 

 borders public roads. Other limitations might be, that 

 not more than a fixed proportion of any one farm should 

 be so taken, and that a plot should never be chosen so near 

 the farmer's house as to be an annoyance to him questions 

 to be decided by the Local Land Courts. Of course this 

 land would be subject to the usual payment of ground- 

 rent to the State according to the official valuation, which 

 should always be a low one, while the improvements would 

 have to be purchased from the farmer with some small 

 addition as compensation for disturbance. 



The effects of such freedom of choice in fixing upon a 

 permanent residence would be gradually to check the 

 increase of towns and to re -populate the country districts. 

 Rural villages would begin a natural course of healthy 

 growth, and if the minimum of land to be taken for one 

 house were fixed at an acre (the maximum being four or 

 five acres) these could never grow into crowded towns, but 

 would always retain their rural character, picturesque 

 surroundings, and sanitary advantages. The labourer 

 would choose his acre of land near the farmer who gave 

 him the most constant employment and treated him with 

 most consideration ; and besides those who would continu 



