RURAL LAND POLICY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1880, 14 October 1913, Page 7

RURAL LAND POLICY

MR. LLOYD GEORGE ENUMERATES THE LIBERALS' VIEWS,

ATTACK ON LANDLORDISM. GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrieht London, October 12. Mr. Lloyd George, Chancellor of tho Exchequer, addressed 2500 delegates from tho Homo, Midland, and Eastern Counties' Liberal Federations. Ho spoko ipr two hours and forty minutes. ' Landlord Monqpoly. In the course of his speech Mr. Lloyd George said that tho question of the land entered into overy necessity of lifo. Mosb of the land in Britain was held by very few, and landlordism was Britain's greatest and least controlled monopoly. Millions had 1 been driven out of Ireland by legal process. He did not attack tho landlords individually or as a class, but a human being could not be trusted with such sweeping powers without abuses, oppression, and mjustico arising. Naboth's Vineyard. The Government, he continued, meant to deprive tho landlords of such temptation. Tho present land system was a ghastly failure: tho percentages of cultivated land and agricultural labourers' wages were lower than elsewhere. They waiitoi a man's wage for a man's work. Ninety per cent, of the labourers received wages below tho scalo necessary to keep a family on workhouse faro. Tho worst paid districts were those where tho landlords' sway was tho greatest. The housing was atrocious. The worker formerly had a stake in tho country, but tho landlords and Parliament had annexed Naboth's vineyard. • ■ Too Much Land For Sport. The Shall Holdings Act, continued tho Chancellor, had met with much success, but tho worker had not profited to the extent the Government had expected. Ono reason for this was tho hostility of the county emmcils. Tho chief reason for the, prohibitive prico of land was that men' bought land Tor social position, power, and sporting, which had nothing to do with its intrinsic value, and until tho monopoly value was placed on a proper basis the small holdings system would not be a success. Tho country possessed millions of acres of uncultivated land, whilst it was buying millions' worth of food abroad. No country gavo up so such land to sport; even cultivated land was damaged by it. It was no use' to say that tho landowner was paid compensation; valuable food was destroyed, while hundreds of thousands of people had not enough. Tho farmers must bo protected. Reduce the Came Lands. It was scandalous that rfints should bo raised on farmers' improvements. Tho Government's policy was to roduco tho gamo lands by two-thirds, and givo the cultivator greater security. , This evon end tho landlords' dominion, but the country had to choose between tho | power of tho landlords and tho prosperity of tho labourer. The present land 1 system neutralised the country's natural advantages and handicapped trade in ©very direction. Tho migration townwards had. depressed wages and contributed to tho growth of tile slums. Before tho Government considered tho question of purchase involving a heavy burden on tho community it- must placo tho land monopoly on a fair business footing, and must securo for tho labourer a living wago, a decent ihfmso, and a piece of land, and give him tno prospect of becoming a small holdor. It must provide the cultivator with expert instructors, and cheapen and improve transport. State Must/ Help. At present certain railways were giving undue preference to foreign produce. It must change tho system of rating and provide tho Stato with powers to acquire land. Many,owners were uuablo to properly cultivate tho soil, and tho Stato must be invoked financially to carry out a scheme.

Addressing a second meeting, Mr. Lloyd Georgo said that" if the Tories wero preparod to settle tho land probleml by agreement, tho Liborals would be prepared to work ■ with them; but there must bo a real settlement.