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THE NEW PROTECTIONISM

cultural produce, local co-operative associations for marketing and for credit — these are the chief desiderata for enlarging the yield of British agriculture. The State ought to contribute liberally to these purposes — legislatively, by removing the decaying relics of feudal tenure; administratively, by the public services of education, transport, and cheap credit.

To take money from the consuming public or from the gains of other industries in order therewith to subsidize a favoured industry of agriculture, by means of tariffs or bounties, is bad politics and worse economics.

Finally, regarded as defence, the protection of agriculture is fatally defective. Although it may theoretically be possible to show that, by a general application of modern science and intensive cultivation, a sufficient quantity of food could be raised upon our national soil to support our whole population, nobody seriously supposes that this can or will be done. The utmost that is looked for as the result of Protection or

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