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On Thursday morning we learn in brief the agricultural policy

of the Government. They propose to give a subsidy of il an acre on all arable holdings of not less than one acre. Market gardens and land under hops arc included. But no farmer will receive the subsidy who pays a wage of less than 30s. a week to able-bodied adults. Thus we get back roughly to the principle of the Corn Production Act. No rent must be raised on account of the subsidy. There will be a Customs duty on malting barley. In our judgment a subsidy is always preferable to a tariff, as it is free from the mysterious and untraceable influences of a tariff. Further, we arc glad that the plan adopted is the encouragement of arable farming in general and not merely of particular grain-growing.

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