THE OBJECTIVE IN PRODUCTION 109 



tenants, women engaged in agriciiluire, and ot horticul- 

 ture and research. 



The Count} Agricuhural Committees came into being 

 in October, 1920, and the Agricuhural Council in 

 December, 1920. 



(3) The Advisory Committee. A small committee 

 appointed from the members of the Agricultural Council, 

 plus certain nominated members. It is the Agricultural 

 Cabinet if the Council be considered as the Parliament, 

 and its chief function is to advise the Ministry on all 

 land questions. 



The machinery thus created is not bad, if it is properly 

 worked. But the manning of the machine is entirely 

 in the hands of official authorities — the i\Iiuistry of 

 Agriculture and the County Councils. This is a danger. 

 Even worse is the fact that the convening of the Council 

 — save for its two biennial meetings — rests with the 

 Minister, as also does the order in which subjects on 

 the agenda are placed. These matters should be 

 directly under the control of the Advisory Com- 

 mittee, if the Council is indeed to be a free parlia- 

 ment of agriculturists. 



I have for years advocated the need for organizing 

 agricultural opinion ; but the organization should be 

 voluntary and unofficial in its character. It should be 

 based on the parish or district and work from the bottom 

 up, not from the top down.' 



Several attempts were made during the past ten years 

 to create a voluntary — as opposed to official — and repre- 

 sentative central council of agriculture, but none were 

 successful ; they failed to get the needed support. Thus 



' See Appendix No. IX wliich shows in dia^^rani form the Scheme 

 for organizalii^ii of a^rii ultural opinion set forth in my licture to 

 the I^ndon School of Economics, March lo, i<>i''- 



