26 JULY 1930, Page 15

So far, so good, but it must, I am afraid,

be inferred that as yet the agricultural ideals have not proved a striking suc- cess. Several influences have prevented the scheme of a definite, fixed agricultural belt or area which should supply the people and the communal shop with the freshest possible products, which should revive the habit of the early English village, which should make of the place a farm as well as a garden city. The farmer missed what all farmers desire, security of tenure. He might see his favourite plot become a more desirable building site ; and in practice, as everyone finds, an original a priori plan with perfectly defined areas had to be modified in practice. Incidentally a good example of such adaptability to local needs was seen in the subsequent alteration of the town plan of Canberra, the new capital of Australia. Again, the ideal of a monopoly of distribution is not wholly practicable. It leads to dissatisfaction and

undignified evasions. * * * *