the labour for which the land
is compelled to pay, should be applied in developing the productive
powers of the land." From this stand-point they proceed to make
practical suggestions, as to the manner in which its principle is to be
carried out. Assuming that a rate sufficient to provide for the
employment of labour should be levied in each district, and that this
labour should be paid for by landlord and occupier, according to the
Poor Law valuation, as enacted by the Labour-rate Act, they suggest:

1. That instead of the money being taken from the farmers, and wasted in
useless and unproductive works, each person liable to pay this rate
should have the option of expending it upon his own land, in additional
labour, upon works tending, as far as possible, to promote the increased
production of food; and that the most suitable and profitable works in
each locality would be best ascertained by inviting proposals from the
ratepayers--each for his own land. 2. That in the event of landlord and
tenant not agreeing in the works to be undertaken, each should be
entitled to expend the portion of rate paid by himself. These
suggestions were certainly calculated to avert the most threatening
danger of the moment--the danger of not having sufficient attention paid
to the cultivation of the land, in order to produce food for the coming
year. 3. Those ratepayers next express their opinion, that landlords and
others, having sufficient interest in lands, should be encouraged by the
offer of loans to undertake extensive and permanent profitable
improvements, such as the draining and reclaiming of land--the making of
roads to come under the designation of profitable improvements, only so
far as they would be the means of facilitating cultivation. All the
works undertaken to be under the superintendence of the Board of Works.
4. The ruling and controlling power in the case to be a local committee
of landlords and ratepayers, which committee, on the completion of each
work within the time agreed upon, should have notice to that effect;
and who should have power to order an inspection of such works, if they
thought it necessary. Upon being satisfied that the outlay was fairly
and honestly made, according to the terms of agreement, a certificate to
be given to that effect, _which should be taken_ in payment _of the
rate_. The Kells and Fore Committee add, with truth, that this labour,
being carried on under the ordinary relations of employ