第89部分(第3/7 頁)

I　did　attempt　it。　I　have　not　done　much。　Yet　I　have　done　something。　They　listen　to　me　now　a　bit。　If　they　had　not　listened　to　me　I　should　not　be　here　in　my　present　position　today　as　a　missioner　from　the　Government　of　Great　Britain。

Well；　what　is　it；　what　is　this　problem　that　moved　me？　I　will　tell　you　in　a　few　words。　I　perceived　and　realised　the　enormous　change　that　is　ing　over　the　Western　world；　how　those；　who　for　countless　generations；　dwelt　upon　the　land；　are　deserting　the　land　and　crowding　into　the　cities。　I　studied　the　reasons　for　this。　For　two　years　I　studied　them；　going　through　England；　village　by　village；　county　by　county；　town　by　town。　And　I　found　out　what　they　were。　In　England　the　chief　cause　was　lack　of　prospect　on　the　land。　We　are　cramped　in　England　with　the　remains　of　a　feudal　system　which　works　nothing　but　ill；　and　under　that　system　it　is　so　that　no　man　on　the　land　seems　to　have　a　chance　to　rise。　The　labourer　on　the　land；　say　at　two…and…twenty；　is　earning　as　high　a　wage　as　he　can　ever　hope　to　earn。

I　ask　you；　gentlemen；　how　should　any　of　us　like　to　know　that　at　two…and…twenty　we　were　doing　the　best　we　could　hope　to　do　in　life？　That　is　the　lot　of　the　labourer　on　the　land。　All　that　he　has　to　look　forward　to　at　the　end　of　his　long　career　of　forty　or　fifty　years　of　toil　is　probably　a　place　in　the　workhouse。　Is　that　an　attractive　prospect？　Then；　no　doubt；　the　spread　of　education；　the　facilities　of　travel；　and　other　things　of　that　kind　conduce　to　the　immigration　into　the　cities；　and　this　movement　goes　on　with　ever…increasing　rapidity。

At　the　present　moment　in　England；　I　believe　we　have　but　one…seventh　of　our　population　living　on　the　land。　In　the　United　States；　if　the　figures　given　me　are　correct；　matters　are　very　little　better。　And　so　it　is　in