

SCOTTISH DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 67 



tha proposal to set up an independent Board of Agriculture for 

 > cotland, and expressed the hope that in any rearrangement 

 of the Department the administration of the Cattle Diseases 

 Acts within Great Britain might be retained under one head. 

 In spite of this motion, and notwithstanding the strong opposition 

 of Scottish agriculturists, the Bill passed the House of Commons, 

 but was rejected by the House of Lords on second reading, 

 partly on these grounds. 



" On 26th October, Mr. Charles Bathurst called the attention 

 of the Prime Minister to the present opposition of the Scottish 

 Chamber of Agriculture, and to the resolution passed at York, 

 and asked whether the Government would modify the Bill in 

 the manner suggested in the resolution. Mr. Asquith in his reply 

 curtly declined to modify the Bill. As the measure has already 

 passed through Committee, the only practicable step that can 

 be taken is to appeal to the House of Lords either to insert and 

 insist upon a clause which will give effect to the wishes of agri- 

 culturists in both England and Scotland, or to reject the Bill 

 altogether. Your Committee recommend that this course be 

 taken." 



Mr. Charles Bathurst, on behalf of the Council, put down 

 amendments to give effect to the Council's decision, but when 

 the debate took place on 6th November there was only a 

 small House, and on the principal division the figures were 

 197 to 115, a majority of 84 against agriculture. An appeal 

 was consequently made to the House of Lords to amend the 

 Bill by reinstating the English Board as the authority to 

 administer the Diseases of Animals Acts over the whole of 

 Great Britain. This appeal was responded to, and the Bill 

 was amended in the desired direction before receiving the 

 Royal Assent. 



1912. 



A deputation waited upon Mr. Runciman on 27th February 

 to ask for the appointment of a Departmental Committee to 

 investigate " Johne's Disease." The suggestion was not 

 accepted, but Mr. Runciman promised that the Board's 

 veterinary officers should devote special attention to this 

 disease. 



On 16th July the Council considered the report of the 

 Departmental Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease, which 

 they considered somewhat weak and unsatisfactory, though 

 some of the recommendations were quite approved. At the 



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