6 



by every right thinking man and woman. The object of such a cry 

 is patent to any one, but it will have no effect in checking the 

 demand for more democratic land legislation. 



I,et me further call attention to two other particulars. For 

 over a century the landowners have been asking to be relieved of 

 taxation, in order that through the agency of such relief they might 

 be enabled to cultivate- the land with advantage to themselves from 

 a paying standpoint. As indicated, they have been relieved to an 

 outrageous extent, yet this important fact remains, that more land 

 year by jear has gcme out of cultivation. The inference, therefore, 

 to be drawn is, that if the land was more heavily taxed— as it should 

 undoubtedly be — more of it would be under cultivation. That 

 there would be more used for the growing of food and timber, and 

 less used for the cultivation of deer and game for sport. Let me 

 therefore ask the reader to assist the Independent Labour Party in 

 resisting any futher concessions to the landed interest, and to help 

 in bringing about Land Nationalisation, which is the only effective 

 way of grappling with the question. The landlord class earns 

 nothing, and reaps where they have not sown. They give no 

 service to the community, and yet they take over £100,000,000 per 

 annum in the shape of rent out of the industry of the country. 

 The old Book says : " The Earth is the Lord's, and the fulness 

 thereof." It is a good text, and cannot be too often quoted, 

 especially to those religious people who are so loud in their 

 ■condemnation of Socialism. 



It is generally accepted by a larg^e number of people that the 

 land of this country is not of a character suitable for cultivation to 

 the same extent as it is cultivated in other countries. The weight 

 of evidence, however, is in direct opposition to such a contention, 

 either from the standpoint of soil and climate, or crops per acre 

 that could be secured if an earnest effort was put forth in regard to 

 the question. Within 10 miles of London, with its 5,000,000 people, 

 there is practically nothing but meadow land, yet London is supplied 

 with Flemish and Jersey potatoes, French salads, and Canadian 

 apples. If this land were in the hands of Paris gardeners it is 

 estimated that 2,000 people at least could be employed on this land, 

 and that vegetables to the value of from £50 to £800 per acre could 

 be got from it. Of the total area of France, 57 per cent, is under 

 crops ; in this country we have but 25 per cent. Only 12 per cent, 

 of the land of France is in meadow and permanent pasture ; in 

 Britain we have considerably more acres in meadow, pasture, and 

 grazing land than ate devoted to the same purposes in France ; but 

 notwithstanding, France supports 8,250,000 dairy cows to our 

 2,750,000 ; and 7,500,000 pigs to our 2,500,000, A comparison with 

 Germany also phts Us in an equally unfavourable light, the latter 

 country having half her area under crops, 15 per cent, meadow and 

 metute, and<2S per ceat, forests. These are facts which claim our 



