Part of February 1913 speech by Lloyd George in England. Published in Montreal Witness and clipped by Margaret. In Canada they had Robertson's Movement for Rural Education. Macdonald College was founded to teach modern skills to farmers. The difference between England and Canada, Canada had all this new land out West available farming and with  the invention of a hardy strain of wheat, all they needed were families -with strong boys- willing to work the farms.


Foremost amongst tasks of Liberalism in the near future is he regeneration of  rural life and the emancipation of the land of this country from the paralyzing grip of a rusty, effete and unprofitable system. The land is the greatest asset. It is the most essential of our national assets and it is common ground that it is not used to the best advantage in the interests of the community.  And we are rapidly reaching a point when the gross waste of our national resources, human energy, human life and opportunity involved in the perpetuation of that system means national weakness and national peril.

A short time ago a number of trained investigators were called together for the purpose of  inquiring into the conditions of life in the rural districts. We circulated a very complete and very searching questionnaire. We examined into the lot of the rural labourer, into his housing accommodations. We enquired into his wage.

We enquired into the increasing emigration from rural districts. The results are in and soon to be published.

They proved conclusively that there are hundreds, thousands, millions of men and women and children depending on the land, engaged in cultivating it, hard working men and women, who are living under conditions with regard to wages, to housing as well as to hours of labour, conditions which ought to make this great Empire hang its head with shame, that such things should be permitted in any corner of its dominion, let alone in this country. This rich country does not provide descent homes for the labourers; it does not pay enough for them to keep their wives and children out of a state of semi starvation.

The land of Britain is held under conditions which discourage enterprise and capital which would otherwise be invested into its development which ought to be rearing a strong and hardy race.

We ought to have ample labour, much more highly paid, better fed, better housed, better circumstanced, that is a fair summary of our report.