§ I will tell the Committee how I propose that this subject should be dealt with; but, before I do so, I have something more to say about proposals for aiding in the development of the resources of our own country. The State can help by instruction, by experiment, by organisation, by direction, and even, in certain cases which are outside the legitimate sphere of individual enterprise, by incurring direct responsibility. I doubt whether there is a great industrial country in the world which spends less money on work directly connected with the development of its resources than we do. Take, if you like, and purely as an illustration, one industry alone—agriculture—of all industries the most important for the permanent well-being of any land. Examine the Budgets of foreign countries—we have the advantage in other directions—but examine and compare them with our own, and hon. Members will be rather ashamed at the contrast between the wise and lavish generosity of countries much poorer than ours and the short-sighted and niggardly parsimony with which we dole out small sums of money for the encouragement of agriculture in our country.
§ We are not getting out of the land anything like what it is capable of endowing us with. Of the enormous quantity of agricultural and dairy produce and fruit, and of the timber which is imported into this country, a considerable portion could be raised on our own lands. There, hon. Members opposite and ourselves will agree. The only difference is as to the remedy. In our opinion, the remedy which they suggest would make food costlier and more inaccessible for the people; the remedies which we propose, on the other hand, would make food more abundant, better, and cheaper. What is it we propose?—and, let the Committee observe, I am only dealing with that part of the problem which affects finance.