120 THE MINORITY REPORT 



able and labour available, a considerable amount of 

 grass land would have been broken up, and there 

 would consequently have been more scope for em- 

 plo3mient of labour after the war ; although we 

 recognise that during last winter these conditions were 

 not present. The permanent employment of this 

 labour would, however, not have been attained by 

 limiting the guarantee to a period of four years, and 

 we are convinced that many farmers would be un- 

 willing to plough up pastures which were at all 

 profitable without having an assurance of remunera- 

 tive wheat prices for a considerably longer period. 



62. We do not consider it within our functions to 

 give definite advice as to the particular method by 

 which the Government should give such stability to 

 the industry and security to the farmers as is neces- 

 sary for the better conditions of employment which 

 we desire and for the breaking up of the grass land. 

 But we venture to put forward certain considerations 

 affecting the various alternative methods of carrying 

 out such a poUcy. If the method of guarantee were 

 adopted, we should, for permanent purposes, advise 

 a guarantee of from 40^. to 425. per quarter extending 

 over a period of ten years. If this were done we 

 should hope that it would result in large additions being 

 made to the arable land of this country. It is im- 

 possible to forecast the rate at which land might be 

 expected to be broken up, and if the first two seasons 

 after the war were favourable, and the necessary 

 amount of machinery and labour were procurable, 

 we should hope that a substantial beginning would 

 have been made at the end of the second year in the 



