70 Agriculture and the Community. 



change of machinery that is necessary, although that too 

 is required and can be secured as experience proves 

 advantageous, as a change of responsibility for the admin- 

 istration from the politicians to the industry itself. 



But if control is to be effective there will have to be 

 greater decentralisation than at present. " Farming from 

 Whitehall " is a common butt of the easy jokes of those 

 who want no State interference with farming, and nothing 

 would please the critics better than a highly centralised 

 system. It would be sure to fail. Farming in this country 

 is not one industry, but many industries, and there is a 

 remarkable variety of conditions of climate and soil within 

 the shores of the island. Any attempt, therefore, to build 

 up effective machinery on centralised lines would be to 

 court disaster. There ought to be the closest touch between 

 the central boards and the county committees, but the 

 county committees should be given greater powers of 

 initiative, and should have more responsibility for actual 

 control wuthin their areas. They should be thoroughly 

 representative of the different interests within their area, 

 and should work in close co-operation with the organisa- 

 tions of producers and consumers. The same attitude of 

 direct responsibility to the industry should characterise all 

 their actions. Their meetings should be public and their 

 minutes and reports should be readily available to all 

 interested. Only thus can they create the corporate spirit 

 in the industry, and gain the support of the general 

 community for the work they have to do. 



If these county committees and national boards are to 

 be successful, the organisation of the different interests 



