17 AUGUST 1929, Page 17

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In Mr. Herbert A.

Day's very interesting and appre- ciative review of Jakob Lange's little book A Danish View of British Agriculture he makes the following statement : " If England could open up the land so that it might be bought in reasonable portions at reasonable prices for any reasonable purpose, prosperity such as Denmark is enjoying might be ours."

Reference to pp. 20 and 21 of the book will disclose one of the steps the Danes have taken to secure these very objects, which step they believe must precede all others if land reform is to be effective.

Mr. Lange there states that the Danish Land Dues (taxation of land values for national and local purposes) " have materially helped to prevent the keeping out of cultivation of any land fit for agriculture " and have thus done much to reduce the speculative element which otherwise would stand in the way and defeat the objects in view.—I am, Sir, &c.,