WCP3607

[1]

Godalming.

April 7^th. 1889

My dear Girdlestone

Carpenter’s paper is very good as showing the iniquity of the Enclosures, but he does not point out, a[nd] lay stress upon, the fact that all should have a right to occupy land; — but rather implies that the labourers would still remain labourers, ^working for large farmers, & rarely[?] benefiting by higher wages (which is doubtful) and access to commons. I do not know whether[?] you receive our recent tracts as they are issued so I [2] enclose the two latest by our new and most valuable member Mr Ogilvie. He so clearly brings out the fact that, if landlordism were abolished tomorrow, & all rents paid to the community, — yet if the present occupation of land continued the labourers and the bulk of the people would be no better off. The only beneficial occupation of land, both for the occupiers & for the whole of nature, is occupation by the very men who till & [3] cultivate the land.

I also wish to recommend you strongly to get a little shilling book by Mr. Mills — "Poverty and the State" (Kegan Paul). Mr Mills has been a farmer & a Poor Law Guardian & his proposals are thoroughly practical & founded on knowledge.¹ It is a masterly criticism of our poor law system with a proposal of a method of dealing with our paupers which would render them self-supporting, & in such comfort & even luxury, as to afford a practical demonstration of the necessity of a similar system for all workers. His plan if adopted would be a practical demonstration [4] of what would result under L[and]. N[ationalisation]. with a form of co-operation amounting to something like your Socialism. Pray get the book, read it carefully through & let me know if you do not agree with my estimate of it.

We have let our house for 3 years, and are in a temporary house till we fix on a permanent one. I am looking about whenever the weather is fine.

With best wishes | Believe me | Yours faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace — [signature]