9781333499310 - The Land Retort by A Study of the Land Question with an Answer to the Report of the Secret Enquiry Committee (3 results)

PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book, tackling the problem of low wages amongst agricultural laborers in Britain, was assembled by a committee formed during the tenure of the early 20th century liberal government, which sought to break up large landed estates, and bring about a redistribution of land ownership. The inquiry spanned years, and was accompanied by a program of extensive interviews with farmers, laborers, landowners, and experts. The resulting report, the Land Report, upon which this book is based, is divided into five parts, covering agricultural wages, rural housing, access to land, small holdings, and state-aided purchase of land. The authors argue that the widespread practice of landlords paying wages entirely in the form of production from the land, rather than in cash, was particularly problematic, and had led to a pervasive decline in rural standards of living. The report found that the industrial revolution had had a devastating impact on rural Britain, and was amongst the factors contributing to an excessive flight from the countryside into cities. The book's findings would heavily influence the shape of 20th century rural policy in Britain. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item.