THE AGRICULTURE ACT 81 



also become responsible for the work of the 

 existing County Live Stock and Horse- Breed- 

 ing Committees. If directed by the County 

 Council, and subject to approval by the Board 

 of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture, 

 they may take over the provision and admin- 

 istration of Agricultural Education. 



Formidable as that list reads on paper, a 

 review of it evokes feelings similar to those 

 expressed by Frederick the Great, when, 

 having surveyed the serried ranks of a raw 

 army, he exclaimed, " I don't know what effect 

 they will have on the enemy, but they terrify 

 me ! " The grounds for this pessimistic out- 

 look are twofold : the composition of the 

 Committees and the vague, non-compulsory, 

 and timorous nature of the legislation enumer- 

 ated above. 



Firstly, then, let us examine the statutory 

 composition of the Agricultural Committees. 

 They are established under Section 7 of the 

 Ministry of Agriculture Act, 19 19. This clause 

 instructs County Councils to appoint an 

 Agricultural Committee, and directs that a 

 majority of the Committee shall consist of 

 persons appointed by the Council, although 

 such persons need not of necessity be members 

 of the Council. The Ministry of Agriculture 

 may appoint not more than one-third of the 

 members, and also appoints a similar proportion 

 of members of any Sub-Committee enjoying 

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