They can say to the farmer, 'All right, my son, if that's your
figure, I'm going to the shop next door--to South America, to Canada, to
Russia.' It isn't a satisfactory solution. I want to see England happy
and healthy before I bother about the Argentine. It drives our men into
the slums when they might be living fine lives in God's fresh air. In
the case of war it might be disastrous. There, I agree with him. We
must be able to shut our door without fear of having to open it ourselves
to ask for bread. How would Protection accomplish that? Did he tell
you?"
"Don't eat me," laughed Joan. "I haven't been sent to you as a
missionary. I'm only a humble messenger. I suppose the argument is
that, good profits assured to him, the farmer would bustle up and produce
more."
"Can you see him bustling up?" he answered with a laugh; "organizing
himself into a body, and working the thing out from the point of view of
the public weal? I'll tell you what nine-tenths of him would do: grow
just as much or little as suited his own purposes; and then go to sleep.
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