108 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



depot at Clitheroe, which, thanks to the admirable transport ser- 

 vice of the society, can supply all Lancashire ; and, furthermore, 

 that the same powerful society should organise a sale of milk on a 

 large scale — not only for its own farms. There are many farmers 

 already thankful to be able to dispose of their milk to this establish- 

 ment. And we have not seen the last of such opposition action. 



In this way has the Ministry of Agriculture deliberately and 

 wilfully turned a ready and most valuable ally into a declared foe, 

 to the undoubted detriment of agriculture. 



And as regards country life, and rural reconstruction, the folly of 

 the act committed is still more apparent. Rural society is already 

 quite sufficiently divided by survivals from feudal times. But here 

 is a great gulf deliberately dug between favoured " farmers " and 

 the mass of people with whom we hope to repeople the land and make 

 it bring forth, in the Biblical phrase, "by handfuls." It is not 

 majors and captains, briefed by a learned K.C. — however distin- 

 guished in military service — apart from " the people," be their 

 eloquence ever so " Attic," who will gain the confidence and active 

 collaboration of the people to be influenced. They can tell them 

 that they will buy their basic slag and their sulphate of ammonia 

 cheaper through a society than from a dealer, and so get them, in 

 times of dearth, to join a " society." But that " society " will not 

 therefore necessarily be " co-operative." The " people," to be 

 gained over, want men of their own class, knowing their wants, ways 

 and habits, feeling with them, thinking with them, and talking their 

 own language, to persuade. " Farmers " do not care much for 

 small cultivation or smallholders, but the country wants them. 

 In quite needlessly, unprovokedly, and to all appearance deliberately, 

 bringing about this rupture and estrangement, cutting rural society, 

 which the nation are anxious to see united, in two, the Ministry of 

 Agriculture has rendered the country, which it is called upon to 

 serve, a distinct and most serious disservice. So far as agriculture 

 is concerned, this is indeed a downright staggering piece of suicidal 

 folly. 



With only a slight, literal or verbal, emendation, Cicero's famous 

 hexameter very accurately describes the policy adopted by our 

 Ministry of Agriculture with regard to the Agricultural Organisation 

 Society : 



" Cedant arua togae ; concedat peritia linguae," 

 There is more spoilt than the metre. 



That may be most excellent fooling, but it is not sound organisa- 

 tion. In no other country, however eager Governments may there 



