92 AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION 



brought about by causes quite beyond their own control. They 

 are in a situation not unlike that which visits the commercial 

 community when some great change in the traditional course 

 of business has brought loss, and, it may be, ruin to hundreds 

 through no fault or error of theirs. In such cases men of intelli- 

 gence and resource recognise that there is only one way by which 

 they can hope to recover any part of their former welfare. They 

 acknowledge that the change is due to the operation of economic 

 principles ; they study those principles and set to work to 

 readjust their business as speedily and as completely as possible 

 to the novel conditions which regulate its course. The Agri- 

 cultural Conference unhappily seems to have made up its mind 

 to defy the recognised laws of economic science instead of 

 endeavouring to adapt their farming methods to them. 



Some years were to elapse before this alternative policy of 

 action based on sound economic principles was adopted, and 

 in the meantime active efforts were made by Lord Winchilsea 

 and his supporters to gain wide-spread adhesion to the 

 National Agricultural Union, the specific objects of which 

 comprised the following items : 



1. Reduction in local taxation of agricultural property. 



2. Abolition of preferential railway rates on foreign to the 

 prejudice of British produce. 



3. Old age pensions. 



4. Amendment of the law relating to the adulteration of food 

 and the Merchandise Marks Act. 



5. Amendment of the Agricultural Holdings Act. 



6. Increased facilities for the obtaining of small holdings. 



This programme was accepted by 230 members of the then 

 new Parliament, in which Lord Rosebery was Premier, and 

 Lord Winchilsea realised his aspirations to the extent of 

 seeing formed an Agricultural Party which represented all 

 shades of political opinion. 



Among the agriculturists of the country, however, there 

 was developed a feeling that something more than Parlia- 

 mentary action or agitation was needed to improve their 

 position. Complaints were then being more especially made 

 against the railway companies, whose alleged undue prefer- 

 ence of foreign over British produce was a much-discussed 

 grievance which, as will be seen, had found expression in the 

 second item on the National Agricultural Union programme. 



