THE GREAT WAR PERIOD 



experience gained in those days has guided the 

 present County Organization to avoid some of the 

 mistakes and pitfalls of that year. I shall make no 

 attempt to enumerate them, but one knew they 

 existed. One assumes the Government did record 

 them, hence the advice given to County War Com- 

 mittees of 1939 to appoint local scheduling com- 

 mittees. These to my mind have proved so far to 

 be a sound proposition ; these men's local knowledge 

 has been invaluable in getting to work on the right 

 type of land to plough. 



In 19 1 7 Mr. Lloyd George introduced the Corn 

 Production Bill, guaranteeing cereal prices and fixed 

 wages for a term of years. This was, of course, the 

 great draw to get farmers to put their backs into 

 the new venture, and a great venture it proved to be. 



I can recollect a conversation I had with the late 

 Mr. Thomas Lavington, who was no believer in 

 promises. " Ah," he said, " place no confidence 

 in these Government offers, they will let you down 

 for a certainty." Unfortunately history proved his 

 words to be true ; none the less, he who would listen 

 to such an argument was no patriot in those days 

 of danger and stress, neither is he in these. 



The County Agricultural War Committee of those 

 days was led by Mr. Arthur White, and an excellent 

 choice he was. No man gave more of his time ; his 

 tact and good judgment were never in question, 

 and he was rightly honoured with the O.B.E. at 

 the close of the War. In my opinion Arthur 

 Stratton made a good second in command, and his 

 knowledge lay perhaps in his great experience of 



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