52 THE AGRICULTURAL CLUB. 



fourth dimension. Its existence is indicated, but one never 

 feels quite sure of its reality. If it is real, it should be easy 

 to answer two simple questions What is the business ? and 

 Who is running it ? I am quite baffled in getting a definite 

 answer to either question. 



Common sense would indicate that farming is the business of 

 producing, for a profit, certain kinds of food, with such by- 

 products as wool and hides. But so direct and simple an answer 

 by no means satisfies the many cooks who stir the agricultural 

 broth. 



To go no farther than the discussion in this Club a few weeks 

 ago, following Mr. Orwin's very interesting address in favour 

 of large farms, there was first a lament because there has been 

 a reduction in the number of agricultural workers which Mr. 

 Orwin's plan would accentuate, and it was assumed as axiomatic 

 that an increased number of workers was in itself a desirable 

 thing. Quite the reverse would be assumed in any other industry. 

 If England could mine her 250,000,000 tons of coal and iron 

 with 500,000 people instead of 700,000 that would be con- 

 sidered a good performance as an economic proposition, as 

 it would leave 200,000 available for additional production in 

 other lines, and increase exportable surplus. Not so in farming. 

 There are many who think that national well-being requires 

 a numerous agricultural population, and this is specifically 

 set forth by the Sub-Committee on Agricultural Policy as a 

 prime objective. There was also introduced into the same 

 discussion the broad social doctrine of the nationalisation of the 

 land, not apparently because it was the best way to make farm- 

 ing pay, but as a sound doctrine in itself. There was also a 

 demand for a highway to social advancement for the agricultural 

 labourer, not observably in the interest of farmers or farming, 

 but again as a social doctrine and an end in itself. And all 

 these were apparently held to be relevant to the discussion 

 of a plan to make farming profitable to the operator. 



To an industrial manager like myself, it was like attending a 

 meeting where every speaker used a different language, with 

 Mr. Orwin my only compatriot. 



Compare this with a commercial undertaking. There we 

 have a simple direct aim the profit of the holder of ordinary 

 shares. Every transaction is judged by that one standard. 

 The purchase of materials and the employment of labour must 

 be as cheap as possible. Interest on borrowed money must 

 be low ; sales price must be as high as possible ; and finally 

 no profits must be paid to anyone else if it can be avoided. 

 To meet this last point the tendency is to reach back through 

 all processes to the raw material, and forward through all pro- 

 cesses to the ultimate consumer. It is true that the word 



