Xll PREFACE 



unwisdom, crushing out the hopes of the honest, and 

 stimulating the recklessness of the unscrupulous, of 

 skilful adaptation and patient industry winning success, 

 and of loyal work and kindly consideration, has opened 

 a mine of suggestions for practical statesmanship in deal- 

 ing with the future of agriculture. 



The evidence supplies, as no previous body of evidence 

 has ever done, full materials for an exhaustive analysis 

 of the real mischiefs which have paralysed agriculture, 

 and aggravated the loss and the suffering inevitable from 

 great economic changes. 



The long strain of having to make ends meet in bad 

 times has made a good many things more certain. 

 Many truths have been driven home by stern necessity, 

 strong men have thought out the conditions of their 

 work more clearly, and are more ready to say what they 

 think. 



In the following pages an attempt — doubtless imperfect 

 in many aspects — has been made by one of the Commis- 

 sion to analyse and sum up with precision what is the 

 real outcome of the evidence as to the economic position 

 of the working agriculturist. 



No policy for agriculture would seem worth con- 

 sidering which does not face the facts and the whole of 

 the facts, and which does not supply some real solution 

 for the mischiefs which have intensified the economic 

 breakdown, and stood in the way of economic recovery. 



The wider causes of agricultural loss and trouble are 

 beyond our reach. 



Protection is dead ; bimetallism an academic theory. 



What we have to do is to try to clearly understand 

 and deal practically with what is within our reach. And 

 this is exactly where the definite and matter-of-fact 

 evidence of the Commission is a help. 



