A CAMPAIGN AGAINST SOCIALISM 95 



So it was thought by all good Catholics in 

 general, and by the clergy in particular, that the 

 time for action had come. As far back as 1876 

 the question was raised of giving instruction in 

 agricultural subjects to young men under train- 

 ing in the Seminaries for the priesthood, to fit 

 them for taking part in agricultural movements 

 in the parishes, and this course was adopted as 

 soon as it became the fixed policy of the Church 

 to check the spread of Socialism in the rural 

 districts. Not only was such instruction given 

 (with the help of State subsidies), but the 

 bishops were most earnest in their efforts to 

 induce the parish priests to promote the various 

 forms of agricultural combination with all the 

 zeal in their power. In this way almost every 

 cure became the centre of a local movement for 

 the starting of agricultural associations, and how 

 well qualified they became so to act is shown by 

 a story told by M. Victor Lecoffre in his book, 

 Lcs Associations Agricoles en Belgique. M. 

 Lecoffre went one day to a co-operative dairy 

 with a priest who was " diocesan inspector of 

 agricultural undertakings," and found that 

 operations had been stopped for two hours 

 because of a breakdown in the engine which 

 the engineer could not remedy. The priest- 

 inspector examined the engine, and then called 



