AGRICULTURAL DRAMATIS PERSONAL 05 



approved bv the National Health Insurance autiiority. 

 Time has proved the wisdom of this action, and these 

 associations are now the soundest section, actuarily, 

 under the National Insurance Scheme. Every county 

 should have had its " Rural Workers' Insurance Society." 



The matter was put before the Lord- Lieutenants — 

 for it was pre-eminently a question in which the land- 

 owner should have shown his sympathy with the real 

 interests of the working man, but, save in a few cases, 

 nothing was done ; a great opportunity was lost owing 

 to our usual failing —want of vision. It might even now 

 be possible to do something in this direction, but it 

 would be more difficult as the system is established. 



The questions we have been touching upon are 

 important, but they are insignificant when compared with 

 the great problem of Education— the education of the 

 children of the rural workers. The Fisher Act will have a 

 far-reaching effect ; it will take years to set it going in 

 the country, but the final result will be that the country 

 child will receive an education, of its own type, as good 

 as is provided for the town child. 



No longer will all education cease at the age of 13 ; 

 it will be carried on by means of continuation instruction 

 from 14 to 16, and undoubtedly in the end till 18, as it 

 is in Denmark. And why should we be behind ? T'his 

 continuation instruction will embrace general education 

 as well as technical, so that the effect upon the general 

 intelligence of the future labourer will be very great. 

 If the new system is developed on right lines the 

 resultant good to the nation and to the individual 

 will be incalculable. 



But there are dangers to be avoided. In llie past, 

 instruction in the elementary school was too much based 

 upon the te.xtbook. The manual side was neglected. 



