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tried and failed, and when any subject in our British political life has
been brought up to the boiling-point, and yet nothing effective has been
done, it is extremely difficult to bring it to the boil a second time.

It is worth while tracing out what has actually happened. The
Government's Agriculture Act of 1921 contained four great
principles:--(i) that we must have more food produced in this country
(_a_) as an insurance against risk of war, (_b_) so as to meet our
post-war conditions as a debtor nation by importing less of our food
supplies; (ii) that as the most productive farming is arable farming,
and as by maintaining a proper proportion of arable we can on emergency
make ourselves independent for our food supplies for an indefinite time,
farmers should be guaranteed against loss on their arable rotations;
(iii) that if farmers are to be required to produce more they must have
clear legal rights to farm their land in the most productive way, a
greater compensation for disturbance; (iv) that as the first three
principles give security to the nation and to the farmer, it is
desirable also to give security to the worker by permanently continuing
the war-time system of Agricultural Wages Boards.

These principles were duly embodied in the Bill as it left the House of
Commons:--

(i) The Ministry of Agriculture, acting through the County Agricultural
Committees, was given powers to insist on a certain standard of arable
cultivation, as well as in minor matters, such as control of weeds and
of rabbits;

(ii) The difference between the ascertained market price and the
estimated cost of production on his wheat and oat acreage was guaranteed
to the farmer, the guarantee not to be altered except after four years'
notice;

(iii) The landlord had to forfeit a year's rent if a tenant was
disturbed except for bad farming, or four years' rent if the disturbance
was capricious;

(iv) The existing Wages Board system was continued.

THE DESTRUCTION OF A POLICY

The gradual destruction of this policy began in the House of Lords. They
allowed themselves to be swept away by the popular cry against
Government interference with industry, and cut out the power of control
of cultivation. The Prime Minister had said that this was an absolutely
essential part of the Bill, and of the Government's policy, but the
Government quietly and characteristically accepted the Lords' amendment
and the Bill was passed.

Then troub