The appointment of Mr. Jesse Collings as Secretary to the
Local Government Board is, we suppose, a guarantee that Mr. Chamberlain is to have his way completely in relation to the policy affecting allotments and small holdings,—unless, indeed, he goes so far as to provoke a Cabinet dispute. Mr. Jesse Collings is the originator of the golden promises held out to the agri- cultural labourers, and we are not quite sure that he will not be disposed even to force allotments or small holdings on unwilling labourers. After all, however, it is probable that when he comes to put the powers of the various County Boards in due form, and to ask Parliarnsg to legalise them, he will be much more prudent than his speeches and letters to the newspapers have seemed to promise that he would be. Perhaps even Mr. Jesse Collings may illustrate the sobering effect of responsibility on Utopian dreams.
