Barrowsgate sets out his manifesto on farming in Scotland. This was probably written in the mid-1930s as its essence appears in a newspaper article of 09 July 1937.
In summary, he suggests that:
- Agriculture is important for the welfare of all countries’ economies. In Scotland, there has been a trend for amalgamating small crofts into larger, more mechanised farms. This leads to unemployment and lower wages for those still employed.
- Increasing use of short-term leases makes it harder for crofters to plan systematically.
- Absentee landlords have lost their connection with the vitality of their land.
- There should be legislation encouraging longer leases (of, say, nineteen years), obligations on landlords to invest in the land by way of, for example, improvements to drainage, better buildings, payment into a compensation fund in the event of natural disasters and a prohibition on farm mergers.
- Constraints on the expansion of game shooting, fixed rents, resident landlords/factors and controls over the qualifications/experience of tenant farmers.
Above all, Barrowsgate is in favour of “localism” and support for the small farm or croft, to avoid the migration of the population to cities and away from the land.
The full text can be dowloaded below.
Note: Barrowsgate wrote a verse with a similar title and sentiment in 1933.