102 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



It cannot be said that we have remained without good leading. 

 For we have had Sir Horace Plunkett's splendid example before 

 our eyes for a good twenty-six years, grounded, I may say, on pure 

 self-help and the interest and zeal evoked among beneficiaries. For 

 the few thousands of pounds of public money which — not without good 

 reason, under exceptional circumstances — Sir Horace borrowed from 

 the State during the earliest stages, dwindle into nothing by the 

 side of those truly huge sums which the English Ministry of Agricul- 

 ture has secured from the Development Fund for its almost entirely 

 spoon-fed pet child, the imitation society in our country. The 

 very use of those few Irish thousands has in truth brought out only 

 the more clearly the excellent self-reliant power of the Irish society. 

 For when the late Sir Th. W. Russell very inconsiderately and 

 suddenly called in the small balance remaining due, the society 

 got over the trial with comparative ease, to rise all the stronger 

 from its ordeal, relying thenceforth upon itself only. 



We tried : ' agricultural organisation " — as has already been 

 indicated — in 1899 by the formation of the British Agricultural 

 Organisation Society, intended to be a faithful replica of the Irish 

 Agricultural Organisation Society, Mr. W. L. Charlton, who was a 

 pupil of Sir Horace's, being the originator. The late Lord Wenlock 

 — a devoted co-operator, who had started a co-operative society 

 in his parish of Escrick, and as Governor of Madras Presidency had 

 told off Sir Frederick Nicholson to carry out a careful inquiry into 

 co-operative credit practices in Europe (which inquiry resulted in a 

 masterly report still worth studying), was the President of the 

 Society. The late Earl Winchilsea's faultily-devised and ill-starred 

 ; ' National Agricultural Union " coming hopelessly to grief soon 

 after, the rump of that " Union " sought amalgamation with our 

 society, which amalgamation was consummated in 1900. We 

 dragged along for some time in a not over-prosperous condition. 

 Sir Horace Plunkett had in Ireland found many public-spirited 

 men — mainly landowners — to provide funds for his patriotic work. 

 Here in England— Scotland for a considerable time kept practically 

 altogether unsympathetic, saving up its " bawbees " for other 

 purposes — similar contributions came in only sparingly. Land- 

 lords generally gave us the cold shoulder. The squirearchy was, 

 indeed, well represented on our committee, with its unrustic friends 

 to support it. But, although fervid advocates of " co-operation," 

 and though honestly zealous in their new task, few of these gentle- 

 men knew much about that " co-operation " which they were out 

 to promote. Accordingly many mistakes were made. For a long 



