UNIONIST POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 643, 21 October 1909, Page 7

UNIONIST POLICY.

THE SEARCH FOR A RURAL PROGRAMME LAND OANKS. SMALL PEASANT FREE HOLDERS TO CHECK SOCIALISM. (By I'clograpU—Press Association—Copyright.); London, October 19. Tho Right Hon. Jesso Collings, author ol "Land Reform," a supporter of small holdings and a veteran ally of M?.- Chamberlain, has received &- presentation from the Rural Lab.ourors' Loaguo, of which:ho is the founder and president./ Tho-presentation was made to Mr CoUing3-"for : his Eorviees to. the causo of t peasant proprietary. V . -.[Mr. Coliings has been described aa "a selfmade man, who. has . never lost sympathy wit! the'rural :poor,: of 'which class he was born.': Mr. Collings became 1 a "prosperous Birminghali merchant, ■ andhas, represented the Bordeslej division-of Birmingham as a Unionist sinc< 188fl. . . He. 'is a"ged- !8,. and is still' frail 1 as the result of . a fracture of a leg some timo ago.] \ In connection with the presentation,: a lettei .was readfrom' Mr. • Joseph Chamberlain de 'olaring that while 'tariff reform will prove thi salvation'of the inhabitants of the-towns, tti< creation of-a'-peafeant -proprietorship, is neces sary for the agricultural- labourer—indeed;- i: the . only plan' whereby those problems whlcli affect him chiefly can properly be dealt with. Mr." Codings writes Btatmg that instead oi shipping byei'seia cargoes of men and womer who form-. tho ; pith" and lnstihood of the country, 'stops, shotild bo taken to colonise rura' -England.- This' policy is tho natural;barrioi against Socialism!' hence Socialists are in de termined opposition to land ownership. '/;' Since Mr. Balfour's Birmingham; speech th< Opposition speakers and newspapers have beer xoiitinuKlty /advocating 'tho creation -of a largi ; cfass of proprietors of- small holdings by means -of Land Banks,"or .by metlioda similar to 'thoi •adopted in regard to Ireland. t AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATION IN IRELAND, ! /■ : Tlie Land Banks, tire one .of the features 6] .tlio agricultural: co-operation movement in Ire [ land which owes so much to Sir Horace Plun l:ott. .. A: number; of: farmers join together .anc -become jointly and -severally: liable'. for monej which they, borrow- .as an (association, and whicl they lend .out'/to members who require loans It has generally , been found possible to borron money at -from ;3„to,4:per cent:, and to lend :il at. tho popular'rate of one penny per poum por month. Tho anorc. particulars havei beer 'published ! by Mr. G. V.", Russell, who is alsi -responsiblo.ipr'.the'foUowing:—-. : . .-' After ..the r: banlcs ithe .next 1 , most ./nameroui form ;pfi co-operative associations, are the agri' cultural societies. -.I;,these buy. fertilisers,: feed, -.ing' etuffs./mabhinery, weds, and. other! require- | ments • for.l their - members. , : They 'get - them,- a I -wholesale i prides, , aild-s of- guariateed ; quality ,The smallest .farmer.iwho is;a,,member of oiu of- these fissocia'tions'.is' able to' get. his singli bag of manure on the same terms cs the largos! landoWheri;;K.';-V 1 :/:.'^ • The j poultry societies market. their .members ' poultry/arid', eggs,'- Tho: eggs are graded anc packed 'in; .the: most mOdorn . fashion.;. Everj egg is; tested before it is 'packed nhd'eent away A..-fedcration • of s these societies' was; formed ~! little/ Ovor/n -year'.ago, .but, it..is too Soon 't( say-anything hboUt, its working. It has helped —likd the 'buttef aeehev—to prevent inter-com petition ;Mtwi!ett societies, and will pmlxiblylike the other federations—establish'itself flrml) 'in/:'- a -'/ few :-/-years.: V ■ The Irish.-'Agrioul tural Organisation Society ...is ' devoting" fcpo .oial.'Attentibn'''to-'.-the,' 1 organising of poultry societies, 1 ths salo/of. poultry and' eggs bulk) almost: as largely 'in'' the; /from Irelani as the' exports of butter. ■ . . In Ulster the scutch /mills linyi Bnabled flax-growers to.get their/flax scntchet with", greater care; than .before., The farmer, .either, erect .'or; relit '' a "soutoh'; mill,: app'oin l their b,iyh r mahi'gif; ; and soO : that.tlia teohnica 'processes - connected .'.with '■> the 'soutching an carefully dOne.v-TUefio societies-iilso' secure foi their memborS'-',reliable. flaxwitfi;. importing ii from -Holland dirootlv,' hv securing-it througl the Irish. AgriOiiltnral iWliolosalo Society,' wit) which' many cf; them ; ; Are' federated. ;.- Thei g iahp an; agency,'f^J|p| | i f° , s,, t h 1 c >( sjle.p'. Broadly speaking, tho whole, pirnos'e'of tbii revolution- in .• agricultural buslneM which i< yoing on , in Ireland is to. give to the farina tho complete-control of . the':mahnfacturo; finc marketing of :his,produce, and to /eliminate un necessary niifldlemen 'between the prodncer'.ant the consnmer., -There 'hrc . at'.present , in theai •061; societies about 100,000' members, -.ririd >iti annual, turnover:in now obout .€2.01)0.000 Thi moveMent•' is r giroinng week' 'by week:- Opposi "°n to it. js, drihg out,'.i>nd if the rate of pro: gress;ls -roaptained,in .five,/years, ;Ifish ngi'i oulturo,: will; b<v as [thoroughly: organised- r ai mmculture; in .Denmnrk.' i■'. ' Wyv-which :for. some yean .was subsidised-..by.,the/Deoartment of Apricul turo, is now absolutely 'independent of 'Stall nl d oi. control,, and -unsupported'entirely bv th( coutributionn of its afßlinted societips and theii members.,-rlt.-is^one of- tho best testimonial! ,to, ; the; good, irprk _doijo • that the' members-bl Moieties ~ made /enthusiastic ■respons' to sppenl for .nidi/some "societies of stnali er » 6sndi.ng,aß,.muoh;.aß the central