EDUCATION CODE, 1909 145 



Section 97 of the Education Act, 1870, provides that the 

 Code or any other Minute issued by the Education Depart- 

 ment shall not become operative until it has lain on the table 

 of both Houses of Parliament for not less than one month. 

 In theory this is supposed to give members a chance of dis- 

 cussing or moving resolutions protesting against any such 

 Minutes ; but, in fact, so far as the House of Commons is 

 concerned, the Government takes care that no opportunity 

 is given for such discussion ; even, if a resolution were passed 

 by either House objecting to any Minute or Order, it does 

 not follow that any notice of it would be taken. This gives 

 practically unlimited power to a Government Department, 

 and is in effect the frank adoption of bureaucracy. 



Before the Code actuary became operative some slight 

 changes were made in it, in response to the action taken by 

 the Chamber, the County Councils' Association and the 

 Central Land Association, but it still remains most unsatis- 

 factory from the ratepayers' point of view. 



As the period for which the Agricultural Rates Act was 

 extended expired in 1910, the Chamber moved for a further 

 extension, and it was this year incorporated in the Expiring 

 Laws Continuance Act. 



The "People's Budget." 



Although the Finance Bill was an attack upon agriculture 

 in several directions, the Council referred it to their Local 

 Taxation Committee, as part of it came- within their province. 

 That Committee presented six reports upon the Bill, and 

 several extra meetings (including one extra Council meeting) 

 were held to deal with it. The following extracts from their 

 reports will show the views of the Chamber : 



Your Committee express their profound regret that the 

 opportunity presented by the extensive revision of the basis 

 of Imperial taxation now proposed has not been accompanied 

 by the necessary readjustments of liability between real and 

 personal property for the purpose of local taxation, which have 

 been continuously demanded by the Chambers of Agriculture. 



Your Committee consider that the selection of land as the 

 only form of property for taxation of its capital as well as its 



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