AGRICULTURAL DRA:nL\TTS PERSONJ: 57 



and farmers' capital ! I'he farmers were actually 

 helping to pay the bread subsidy during the years when 

 the world-price for wheat was higher than the con- 

 trolled price for English wheat. The total loss to our 

 farmers under this head is some ,(^15,000,000. 



Another injustice occurred when the consumer 

 blamed the farmer as he often did for increased cost, 

 when this was really due to the high commission 

 demanded by the middleman or distributor of the 

 commodity in question. In the summer of 1920, when 

 consumers in most of the large towns had to pay 2s. 8d. 

 a gallon for milk, the dairy farmer was getting only 

 IS. 3d. a gallon ; and this, owing to increased cost of 

 production, left only a small margin of profit. On the 

 other hand, the distributors were charging is. 5d. a 

 gallon for merely handling the milk, an altogether 

 exorbitant charge ! 



The consumers so vastly outnumber the producers 

 that it is dangerous to leave them in ignorance of 

 these facts ; especially as with certain politicians their 

 one aim in life seems to be to spread lying state- 

 ments about the land and the agricultural industry. I 

 suppose it is the only sort of " political cflort " of which 

 these mediocrities arc capable 1 All agricultmal bodies 

 should subscribe to form a strong bureau for publicity 

 work ; it is urgently needed. 



If the farmer is to keep his end up he must combine, 

 and more than ever during the coming years must the 

 farmer's watchword be " Orga?iizc." 



For the history of the Central Chamber of Agriculture see the 

 iKXik by Sir Herbert Matthew. 



