THE AGRICULTURE ACT 87 



than the County Councils controlled by the 

 secret juntas of their Finance Committees, 

 upon which any one but the up-to-date agricul- 

 turist is invested with power. As for the farm 

 worker, why, the mere suggestion that he should 

 be considered in connection with either finance 

 or policy would bring down the grey hairs of 

 the county aldermen in terror to the grave. 



While this wonderful Act was in its birth- 

 throes we were assured that ample provision 

 would be made for the inclusion of farm 

 workers in the personnel of the Committees. 

 If the County Councils failed to appoint them 

 they would be nominated by the Ministry. 

 In reply to the perfectly obvious argument 

 that no labourer would be able regularly to 

 attend at his own expense a Committee meeting- 

 many miles from his home, with frequently 

 long and circuitous journeys to be undertaken, 

 the Act of 1 9 19 declared that : 



"Any scheme under this section may pro- 

 vide for the payment as part of the expenses 

 of the Agricultural Committee of travelling 

 expenses and subsistence allowance of members 

 of the Committee or of any Sub-Committee of 

 the Committee." 



"There, you see," I was assured, "how 

 really democratic the Government is at heart." 

 What, however, is the practical effect of this ? 

 The Ministry appointed me to an Agricultural 

 Committee. At its first meeting I looked 



