Land Problems and National Welfare 



in Parliament on non-party lines as sketched 

 out in the chapter on Agricultural Organisation. 



And if the group system develops — and Mr. 

 Balfour in a recent speech declared that it had 

 come to stay — then agriculturists must see to it 

 that they too have their own strong group 

 fighting for their interests. An independent 

 agricultural party, to my mind, seems hardly to 

 come as yet within the realm of practical politics, 

 but it must be mentioned, because many agricul- 

 turists are anxious to see such a party created, 

 and the scheme was definitely introduced into 

 agricultural politics at the meeting of secretaries 

 of Chambers of Agriculture held in Lincoln at 

 the Royal Show of 1907, when the following 

 resolution was passed : 



" This meeting of secretaries is strongly of 

 opinion that an independent Agricultural Party is 

 absolutely necessary and could be formed, and asks 

 the Central Chamber to devote a day to its dis- 

 cussion, and if advisable appoint a Committee 

 to consider the best mode of creating and main- 

 taining such a party, and to send its suggestions 

 to the local Chambers for consideration. Further, 

 this meeting considers that to get as immediate 

 results as possible much can be done by using 

 the means already existing, by forming a joint 

 committee of Agricultural Members in the 

 House, composed of all political parties, which 

 should be in close touch with the Central 



306 



