PROVISION OF BORROWING FACILITIES. 41 1 



agencies, combined with a proper organisation of this unofficial assis- 

 tance. There can be no question that the last alternative is the best 

 if it is practicable. 



(4) From what I have seen of agricultural organisation in Britain 

 I feel sure that we want something on the lines of the Irish Agricul- 

 tural Organisation Society, only much more localised. We cannot 

 work on a provincial scale yet. A Provincial Bank or a Provincial 

 Union would be handicapped to the point of failure by want of local 

 machinery. It would be safer and more effective to build up to them 

 from below. What I would suggest as a first step is the creation 

 of District Co-operative Committees. Each would consist of a few 

 (not too many) members really interested in co-operation and represen- 

 tatives of different areas. We would thus have virtually a number 

 of honorary organisers in every district, not acting independently, 

 but taking counsel together periodically and working out a common 

 scheme. Each would undertake the preaching of co-operation and 

 formation of societies of different types in his own area. Above all 

 they would tap local sources of capital, which would be one of their 

 chief duties. That they should find funds for their own societies 

 would be insisted upon ; and the first operations should be confined to 

 districts where local capital is available. Besides propagandism the 

 Committees would undertake the initial supervision and control of 

 the young societies. But this minute supervision would only be 

 temporary, for they would always work with an eye to the formation 

 of Unions and to the speediest possible autonomy of the groups. 

 So the District Committees and the Unions would be parallel and 

 complementary developments. Their lines, however, would probably 

 converge in time, for the Union on its banking side would no doubt 

 become affiliated to a Central Bank, while the District Committee 

 might develop into a Central Union to which the local Unions on 

 their administrative side would be subordinate. 



(6) To begin with, the Registrar and the District Officer would 

 guide these Committees and control them with some strictness. But 

 within definite limits they would be given a free hand. And as the 

 movement gathered strength and the Committees proved their worth the 

 Registrar would gradually withdraw, and in time, I hope, would confine 

 himself to the merely formal duties of a Registrar in other countries. 



(6) The actual constitution of the Committees is a matter for 

 arrangement. They might be attached to the District Agricultural 



