148 PROBLEMS OF VILLAGE LIFE 



Government of a plan so thoroughly out of 

 touch with the general spirit of modern 

 democracy. It is certainly true that our 

 landed gentry have in most cases an intimate 

 knowledge of village questions : anybody 

 who has served on a Parliamentary Committee 

 for some rural Bill realizes that Liberal and 

 Labour enthusiasts are sometimes handi- 

 capped in the pursuit of obviously just ideals 

 by a sad ignorance of rural conditions. Never- 

 theless the impartial student of English history, 

 while acknowledging that our landowners are 

 well acquainted with rural needs, may per- 

 tinently ask what these experts have done to 

 satisfy such needs ? 



It is therefore the strong arm of the State 

 which must be stretched out to help our poor 

 folk in their need. In striking contrast to the 

 splendid work accomplished in Ireland, the 

 efforts made in England to meet the need for 

 good cottages have been extremely feeble. 

 The administration of such Housing Acts as 

 have been placed on the Statute Book has been 

 left to the permissive action of local authorities. 

 The result, not unexpected t>y, those who have 

 had experience of Rural District Councils 

 and the like, has been ludicrously inadequate. 

 The Act of 1890 resulted in the erection 

 of thirty-two cottages, and from the advent 



