î  46  THE  PROBLEM  OF  THE  UNEMPLOYED
if  it  were  possible  to  establish  a  system  of  labour  colonies,
some  engaged  in  rural  occupations,  others  on  co-operative
town  work.  Even  two  well-ordered  colonies,  one  in  the
town,  another  in  the  country,  might  effect  an  exchange
of  surplus  produce  upon  such  terms  that  everything  which
was  produced  could  be  consumed  by  the  colonists.  Although ­
  it  is  highly  improbable  that  two  or  more  such
colonies  of  “  unemployed  ”  could  form  a  wholly  selfsufficient
  group,  it  seems  quite  possible  that  they  might
dispense  with  the  necessity  of  an  outside  market  for
their  goods,  while  the  need  under  which  they  would  lie
of  purchasing  in  the  outside  market  certain  articles  for
their  own  use,  would  of  course  be  perfectly  innocuous.
The  small  experiments  in  Labour  Colonies  have  never
fairly  tested  the  possibilities  of  effective  co-operation,  for
the  considerable  deficit  involved  in  their  working  is  due
chiefly  to  the  necessity  of  purchasing  in  the  outside
market  the  bulk  of  the  articles  which  they  consume  and
the  materials  and  tools  for  their  work,  an  expense  which
might  be  largely  reduced  by  the  co-operation  of  a  chain
of  labour  colonies  organised  with  the  express  design  of
mutual  support  for  industrial  life.
The  dependence  of  England  upon  foreign  countries  for
a  large  proportion  of  the  agricultural  produce  she  consumes,
affords  ample  opportunities  for  the  disposal  of  English
farm  produce  by  a  displacement  of  imports.  Our  imports
of  agricultural  produce  for  consumption  amounted  in  1902
to  more  than  £168,000,000,  of  which  grain  and  flour
exceeded  £71,000,000,  while  the  direct  and  indirect
products  of  the  dairy,  butter,  cheese,  bacon,  ham,  lard,
and  milk,  cost  ¿£48,000,000,  foreign  eggs  £"6,284  000,
meat  and  vegetables  over  £29,000,000.  It  seems  possible