DISCUSSION ON 

 PLANNING THE LAND OF BRITAIN. 



(Rt. Hon. Lord Trent, Chairman, Dr. L. Dudley Stamp, Prof. P. G. H. 

 BoswELL, O.B.E., F.R.S., Dr. Julian Huxley, Prof. E. J. Salisbury, 

 F.R.S., Sir Roy Robinson, Sir Daniel Hall, K.C.B., F.R.S., and 

 Prof. J. H. Jones.) 



Joint Discussion by Sections C (Geology), D (Zoology), E (Geo- 

 graphy), F (Economics), K (Botany and Forestry), M (Agri- 

 culture), ON Tuesday, September 7, 1937. 



Lord Trent said that, before introducing the first speaker, he would 

 like to emphasise some of the difficulties that must be considered in any 

 attempt to plan the land of Britain, the objectives of any such plan being 

 to increase the production of home food supplies on a staple basis, to build 

 up an agricultural population living under conditions of reasonable comfort 

 and security, and, though less vital, to find reasonable facilities for the rural 

 recreation of those who live in cities. The difficulties in the way of the 

 first objective are the weather (which cannot be planned), the time factor 

 (for the rearing of live-stock and crops cannot be speeded up as can 

 machinery), and the conservatism of the British farmer. A real difficulty 

 in the way of the second objective is that the people we may want to put 

 back on the land may not wish to go back. Agricultural work as compared 

 with work in cities is less remunerative, more arduous and lacking in 

 amenities. If drift to the cities is to be checked and remedied, work in 

 the country must be made more attractive. Linking this question with 

 that of rural recreation for urban populations, there is the danger that 

 town dwellers, ignorant of rural conditions, may come to look upon the 

 land purely as a place for enjoyment and not as a place for work. One 

 method of inculcating in town dwellers a healthier regard for the country 

 would be the institution of short periods of compulsory service by young 

 people in labour camps. 



Dr. L. Dudley Stamp, believing that each of the sciences represented 

 by Sections of the British Association has a definite and vital contribution 

 to make concerning the future use of the land, proposed to restrict himself 

 to the viewpoint of the geographer. Any planning of the land of Britain 

 must start from the present position — the present utilisation of the land. 

 This utilisation is extremely complex, as a result of a long period of settle- 

 ment, comprehending a long-continued process of trial and error. 

 Dr. Stamp placed in three main groups the factors which have brought 

 about the present position : (i) natural or geographical, (2) historical, 

 (3) economic. 



The natural or geographical factors are fundamental, and contrary to 



