I6 
LAND & WATER 
October 26, 1916 
cook a hare the cookery book tells you to " first catch your 
hare." Before the Government can comniancker supplies, 
or before they can control distribution, they must first 
acquire possession of tlie articles they intend to deal 
with. If, however, the larger proportion of our supplies 
are several tliousand miles away, and some of those 
supplies arc under the control of neutral and, not of 
necessity friendly, countries, the ("lovcrnmcnt are not in 
a position to act in the manner suggested. So far as 
imported meat is concerned the Ciovcrnment have done 
all that is possible. With regard to both bread and meat 
we are in a nuich mure favourable situation than might 
ha\e been the case. Our Duminions have bumper croi)s 
wiien they might ha\e had a deliciency, and this lucky 
fact has enabled the tiovernment to purchase the Austra- 
lian surplus as ofticially announced. We have 
the upper hand with submarines ; next time we may 
ha\e surprises sprung upon us. 
England's Paltry Wheat Crop 
The paltry crop of wheat we grow now has jiractically 
no effect on the world's jmces, and if the (io\ernment 
took over every sack of wheat recently harxcstcd, and 
sold that at a reduced rate it would only simplify the 
operations of gamblers two months hence. No, if the 
Government are to interfere in times of stress, with any 
effect, the home-grown supply must .be large enough to 
enable them to control the market. At the present junc- 
ture potatoes and milk are the only important foods which 
the Government could effectixely control, because they 
are practically entirely ])roduced in this country. These 
are the two commodities which have risen least in price 
during the war period. 
The general a\erage of prices must be considerably 
higher' than in the 1885-1905 jjcriod if a rural population, 
is to be retained. 
(j.) This contention is hardly worth noting, for the 
person who adheres to his ideas of free trade in spite of 
the changed conditions will not get much of a hearing. 
He is a dangerous person, nevertheless, because he will 
make use of other arguments, such as number 5 for 
instance. 
(4.) To ensure the labourer getting a fair share of 
better prices a mininuun wage, controlled by properly 
constituted Wages Boards must be set up. This must 
be an integral part of any scheme for permanently im- 
proving prices. Higher wages are necessary to induce 
men to come to work on the land, and higher prices are 
necessary to make either large or small lioldings worth 
having. 
(5.) If this assertion were correct it would contradict 
4, because the farmer would not be benfited at the ex- 
pense of the labourer if the landlord reaps all the ad- 
vantage. It is wholly incorrect. It was used, however, 
by a certain M.P. at Carnarvon the other day. Without 
any qualification as to change of conditions he urged that 
there was a real danger to farmers, that while he would 
;ay nothing about tariff reform he did want to see real 
protection against a rise in rents. We are often told 
that agriculture wants more capital put into it. But 
is the capitalist who invests in land never to get a better 
return than the miserable i or 2 per cent, which is all 
that fairly good land now pays the owner ? Such a 
return will hardly attract capital to agriculture. Rents 
were double, sometimes treble the average of to-day in 
the 'sixties and 'seventies, yet farmers made large profits. 
In those days too farmers had plenty of capital, yet with 
falling rents we hear a constant cry of " want of capital." 
There is one, and only one, certain remedy against 
the risk of rents being raised, and that is to become the 
owner of the land one occupies. Ownership settles all 
difficulties of land tenure, removes all sense of insectirity, 
gives absolute freedom of cropping, and removes all 
friction due to alleged damage by game. If even ap- 
proximate figures could be arrived at, showing the dead 
loss incurred every year through the constant changes of 
tenancy under our present system of holding land, they 
would provide a startling argument against tenancy. The 
aggregate cost of removals from one farm to another, 
personal expenses incurred in viewing farms, solicitors', 
auctioneers', and valuers' fees, added to the inevitably 
lessened production on the part of the outgoing tenant, 
and the further loss incurred by the incoming tenant. 
who has to learn the capacity and peculiarities of his 
holding, must run into many himdreds of thousands of 
poimds per annum. 
Every tenant cannot become an owner at once, of 
course. Like all great changes it must take some time ; 
but there is a very large area of land changing hands every 
year, and opportunities of acquiring land are constant 
and nutnerous. An alternative is for existing owners 
to resume ]5ossession of their land and farm it themselves. 
Unfortunately a number of them are 'quite ignorant of 
tile scientific management of land, but that would soon 
right itself in many cases. If owners cannot, or will not, 
insist uj)on making their land jjroduce all that can 
possibly be got out of it, then it should be compulsory for 
them to sell it in the open market. If a tenant is farm- 
ing badly, either from ignorance, laziness, or want of 
capital, he should be compulsorily turned out to make 
room for a better man. 
Such action is a necessary corollary to any action by 
the State for raising prices. 
Still another alternative is for joint stock companies to 
acquire large blocks of land, throw several farms together, 
remove fences, and cultivate by motor power on exten- 
sive princijiles. It is quite certain tliat imder some con- 
ditions a system of extensive farming can be made profit- 
able where small farms will fail, simply because the cost 
of production per acre can be reduced by this method. 
The Four Handicaps 
Agriculture in England suffers from four serious handi- 
caps. Low prices : lack of caj^ital : lack of education : 
and lack of self-reliance. In order to remove the first 
the farmer must be given a feeling of security in steady 
and renumerative prices for his produce by means of a 
moderate and scientitic scale of duties, and he will respond 
at once, as Mr. Middleton tells us the German farmer did. 
As in the case of (Germany it will be less because of the 
actual amount of the duties imposed, than because he will 
realise that the State needs his help, and will see that 
he is not crushed out of existence. Directly that sense 
of security is reahsed the second handicap will soon be 
removed. 
The third is not so easy to deal with. The process of 
education takes time, and the result cannot be expected 
all at onoe, but it is as essential as capital if this country 
is to hold its own. A general system of agricultural 
colleges, farm schools, and continviation schools is 
required, with facilities for the more intelligent boy^ and 
girls to pass upwards by means of scholarships. Ail 
these grades must be endowed by the State so that pupils 
need not be charged prohibitive fees. 
No one can seriously advocate import duties on food 
except on the ground of the pohtical necessity of increased 
production. The only effective way to secure that in- 
crease is — as has been said— to make it worth the while 
of agriculturists to grow all they can ; but if these ad- 
vantages are to be given, those who will benefit must 
realise that they are the servants of the State, holding 
a responsible position of trust, and must qualify them- 
selves for that position. The last generation of farmers 
scoffed at education. A large number of the present 
generation firmly believe that they can learn nothing 
from science or from books, and look upon the scientist 
as a kind of nuisance who must be borne with, but who 
should be ignored as far as possible. That attitude has 
to be changed. The owner of land when letting a farm 
ought to be as careful to ascertain the prospective tenant's 
technical capabilities as he is to determine his ability to 
pay the rent. In fact a diploma from an agricultural 
school or college should be more carefully .scrutinised 
than a bank reference. 
The owner of land must consider himself just as much 
a servant of the State as the tenant, and it is his duty, 
under our assumed new conditions, to see that all liis 
land is in charge of really competent men. A technical 
training in agriculture will never become general unless 
some such course is adopted. The average farmer will 
not help to raise the average until teclmical training 
becomes accepted as necessary. 
The lack of self-reliance is more obscure. It may be 
observed in the majority of landowners by their complete 
dependence on their lawyers and agents. The reason 
given for this dependence'is that their time is too much 
