According to the King's -Speech, the British Government has_ set itself for the coming session about as difficult a legislative programme as could be imagined. Agricultive is a case in point. Under the submarine menace, the country set itself to increase its food production, and the Government rightly took steps to ensure that every available acre was cultivated, and made to produce to its utmost limit. This had a tendency to bring several farms under the control of one farmer, as can be observed at the present. day in many districts. These farmers have had every inventive to bring more land—into bearing. and thus our food production has appreciably increased. But the Government is commited to a scheme of small holdings, ¢s ped: for discharged soldiers, and it is an unpalatable fact that whereas the application for them has been by thousands, only a bare hundred or two have been allotted. Increased food production and small holdings are of equal importance, and in regard 10 the latter the situation is this. Successive wars have drained our country districts of their manhood, the type which makes the best soldier, -and_ the present is the first occasion for many years on which any notably large number of people have displayed a desire to return to the land. If not grasped, the opportunity may quickly disappear with the waning of a love for cguntrs life which the war produc Feb. 16.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.