ECONOMIC MEASUKES 189 



are the cases of sugar-cane estates and dairy farms. 

 There are special reasons of public importance why 

 the production of sugar and milk should be en- 

 couraged, and it is desirable that Government should 

 take such measures as may be necessary to secure 

 land for substantial companies wishing to start such 

 enterprises and able to command the capital and skill 

 necessary for the purpose, with a view to giving such 

 undertakings a fair chance of making a start. 



II. If peasant holdings are to be successful, it is 

 essential that they shall be of a suitable size and 

 shape, and that they shall be permanent units capable 

 of steady development. It is very important, there- 

 fore, that steps should be taken to check the con- 

 tinuous tendency towards the subdivision and frag- 

 mentation of the land, and to give the land-holders 

 a chance of forming economic holdings with some 

 element of permanence. Such action can be taken 

 only with reference to the state of public opinion on 

 the subject. 



III. No attempt should be made to interfere with 

 the freedom of the cultivator to grow such crops as 

 he wishes and in the way that he wishes. Sug- 

 gestions are frequently made that, in the interests of 

 the consuming public, the export of grain should be 

 regulated, with a view to bringing down the cost of 

 living. If this were done the effect would probably be 

 to make the cultivator grow more cotton. To prevent 

 this it is sometimes proposed that the proportion of 

 any holding that may be sown with cotton should be 



