142 PROBLEMS OF VILLAGE LIFE 



rural evils and the justification offered for 

 rural discontent. Scores of societies devote 

 time and money to the attempted solution of 

 rural problems, nor is this unselfish effort 

 entirely confined to-day to one political party. 

 One of the latest and sanest of these associa- 

 tions, the Land and Home Union, with a really 

 " advanced " policy of rural reform, is presided 

 over by a Conservative M.P., Lord Henry 

 Cavendish-Bentinck, has a Fabian for its 

 secretary, and Liberals on its executive. 



The most fertile soil in the world is culti- 

 vated under social and economic conditions 

 which are positive hindrances to efficiency. 

 Vast tracts of land are devoted primarily to 

 the encouragement of sport : methods of 

 scientific agriculture, adopted in Europe with 

 signal success, are with us tabooed from 

 ignorance or prejudice : our supply of home- 

 grown food cannot sustain the population for 

 more than a few weeks. From time to time we 

 have our writing on the wall. In 1911 and 

 1912 two national experiences fell to our lot, 

 full of significance. A speech of the Foreign 

 Secretary proved that we had recently been 

 within measurable distance of war with a great 

 naval Power ; then came the coal strike 

 which, while its full force was broken by fore- 

 thought on the one side and mismanage- 



