42 THE POLICY OF THE PLOUGH 



soil under the old conditions if they have learned of 

 the much better prospects open to any steady man 

 in the Dominions ? 



If the land of Great Britain holds out to them a 

 prospect that an intelligent, reasonably ambitious, 

 and self-respecting man can accept, the battle of agri- 

 culture will be more than half won. If the prospect 

 is just what it is now the men will go elsewhere. 



The Departmental Committee estimated that there 

 will be a shortage of 80,000 agricultural labourers after 

 the war, even if aU those agricultural labourers in 

 the Army who are not killed or disabled return to 

 their old occupation. But in truth the shortage will 

 be greater, for, if nothing is done, many of those who 

 have tasted a better life will absolutely refuse to put 

 up with the old wages, the old dullness, and the old 

 cottages. Nor is that all, since it is necessary, as we 

 have seen, not merely to meet the shortage, but to 

 provide for a great expansion of agriculture. No- 

 thing less than a guarantee of an adequate wage is 

 likely to work the magical change required. To fail 

 to draw a great number of new workers to the land is 

 to fail to keep our country safe. He who wills the 

 end wills the means. We must look at the problem 

 from an angle wholly different from that of the re- 

 formers of Germany or of any other country. Our 

 first need is to attract the men to the land, and to 

 attract them directly the war is over. A minimum 

 wage is therefore the starting-point of reform. 



Of course there are difficulties. These need not be 

 underrated, but if we aUow them to frighten us we 

 shall show that we do not know how to recognise and 



