S2 GREAT BRITAIN - AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY IN GENERAL 



banks through the County Committee under the scheme arranged by the 

 Board. It should help to organize measures for the destruction of rabbits, 

 rats, rooks, sparrows and other pests... It should report any difficulties in 

 maintaining the food supply due to the land being detrimentally^ affected by 

 the blocking of water-courses or the holding up of water by mill-dams and 

 locks. It should assist the provision of land for allotment where needed, 

 encourage the adoption of co-operative methods for the purchase of seed, 

 manures, etc., and take steps to see that all existing allotments and gardens 

 are fully c^iltivated... While it must be borne in mind that the County Com- 

 mittee cannot delegate to a vSub-Committee the executive powers confer- 

 red on it by the Order, it should endeavour to keep each Sub-Committee 

 fully occupied with work of a responsiljle character, and thus save itself 

 from becoming overburdened with a mass of detail which can be better dealt 

 with by men of local knowledge ". 



In many cases the district committees are already doing well and are 

 steadily imj^roving in effectiveness. 



c) The Special Sub-Committees. 



Another circular letter issued b}' the Director General of the Food Pro- 

 duction Department to the War Agricultural Executive Committees, also 

 in May 1917, requested that further sub-committees should be formed in each 

 country to undertake certain duties, in particular a I^abour Sub-committee, 

 a Machinery^ Sub-committee and a Supplies Sub-committee. Bach of these 

 sub-committees should consist of " not more than two members of the Exe- 

 cutive together with other persons co-opted from outside ". 



As regards the Labour Sub-Committees the circular stated that " in many 

 counties a sub- committee has already been appointed to deal with the 

 distribution of soldier labour, but its functions should be extended to deal 

 with matters relating to the supply, distribution, housing and wages of all 

 forms of labour... In view of the necessit}'^ of encouraging the employment of 

 women, and particularly of those women who have been trained under the 

 Board's scheme, the Organizing Secretary of the Women's War Agricultural 

 Committee should be co-opted as a member of the I^abour Sub Committee... 

 The lyabour Sub-Committee might deal also with the supply and distribution 

 of Army or other horses and with any questions that will arise under the 

 Billeting of Civilians Bill ". 



" In view ", the circular .states further " of the new duties entrusted 

 to the committees..., and of the volume of work involved in making arrange- 

 ments for the ploughing up of the quota of grass land apportioned to each 

 county, it will be essential to appoint a special sub-committee for the purpose. 

 It should be called the Machinery Sub-Committee and should deal with the 

 work of the (government) tractors and the sets of .steam tackle in the coiinty, 

 and should also be responsible for the organization of all kinds of agricultural 

 machinery, especially threshing machines ". 



The increased quantit}^ of fertilizers, seeds and other agricultural sup- 

 plies which will be needed owing to the increased arable area is alleged as the 

 reason for the appointment of a special Supplies Sub-Committee. " It 



