86 



ment as ex officio members. The members of this council hohl office 

 for three years. 



The agricultural hoard as constituted consists of 12 members, 8 ap- 

 pointed by tlie provincial committees and 4 by the department of 

 agriculture. 



The hoard of technical instruction consists of 21 members, who hold 

 office for three years, whose duties, as in the case of the agricultural 

 board, are advisory. They" advise the department with respect to all 

 matters and questions sulimitted to them by the department in con- 

 nection with technical instruction.'" 



The considtative committee of education, is composed of 5 meml)ers, 

 and their duty is to " coordinate educational administration." The 

 importance of the functions of such a committee is manifest, for the 

 educational work of the department as resj^ects agriculture is inti- 

 mately associated with that of primary as well as secondary and 

 higher education. The harmonizing of these systems so far as the 

 work relates to agricultural industry is therefore the imjDortant duty 

 assigned to this committee. All work, therefore, relating to agri- 

 culture or instruction in agricultural subjects in Ireland is performed 

 under the supervision of the department of agriculture and technical 

 education. 



The act, nevertheless, provides for local cooperation. County and 

 urban district councils are authorized to raise annually a sum not ex- 

 ceeding 1 penny per pound on the ratable value of such ratable or 

 rural district, and may apply the revenue that is derived for the pur- 

 poses of agriculture or " for any other purposes for which they are 

 authorized by the act to expend money." 



The six county boroughs are authorized to formulate their own 

 schemes of agricultural instruction, and the counties outside of the 

 county boroughs are, under the administration of the act, intrusted 

 by the department with the local administration of such schemes of 

 instruction as they, in consultation with the department, may adopt, 

 tke declared i)urpose being to " strengthen the spirit of economic and 

 social self-help among the people " by bringing " the local bodies 

 thus into contact with the difficulties of the problems to be dealt with." 



The council in each county has authority, under the agriculture and 

 technical instruction act of 1889, to appoint a county committee to 

 have charge of the work of technical instruction in agriculture, which 

 committee has authority to select the districts at wdiich lectures shall 

 be given and to appoint district committees each with a local secre- 

 tary. This local secretary is charged with the duty of selecting the 

 building for meeting and arranging for the hiring, warming, and 

 lighting of the hall. 



Assistance in local organization is i-endered by the department by 

 sending representatives to Aasit and confer with every local authority 



