

THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 251 



Government inquiry, both amendments were withdrawn. 

 A strange feature of the debate on these amendments was 

 that Mr. Henry Chaplin and Mr. Walter Long, two ex-Presi- 

 dents of the Board of Agriculture, should both have urged 

 that the Local Government Board should have its position 

 improved, but that neither of them said a word in favour 

 of the Board of Agriculture. 



On 5th May the Council passed another resolution, urging 

 the Government to give effect to the proposals they had put 

 forward for improving the position of the Board of Agri- 

 culture in a Memorial drawn up by the Parliamentary Com- 

 mittee, and presented to the Prime Minister. This was signed 

 by 41 members of Parliament and was as follows : 



1. That the time has arrived when the Board of Agriculture 

 should be placed upon a more satisfactory basis. 



2. That the Board of Agriculture is the only Government 

 Department which has not a second representative in either 

 House of Parliament. 



3. That the work imposed on this Department has continually 

 increased both in quantity and importance ever since its creation 

 in 1889, but that the amount voted by Parliament is inadequate 

 to enable the Department to efficiently carry out its duties. 



4. That very great loss of time and inconvenience occurs both 

 to its officials and to the public, and it is a great hindrance to the 

 efficiency of the Department that the various sub -departments 

 are scattered about in so many different offices. 



Your Memorialists therefore humbly pray : 



That immediate steps may be taken to improve the 

 position of the Board of Agriculture. 



That a Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agri- 

 culture may be appointed, and that he shall not be a member 

 of the same House of Parliament as the President. 



That an increased grant may be voted for the Depart- 

 ment. 



That offices may be allotted which will house all the 

 various branches of the Board of Agriculture in one building. 



In December the Council sent members to support a 

 deputation to the Prime Minister, arranged by the Central 

 Land Association (of which Mr. Charles Bathurst was then 

 Secretary), to urge this matter, and Mr. Asquith promised 

 that the Government would pass a Bill providing for a 

 Parliamentary Secretary to the Board, and during the session 

 of 1909 this Bill was passed, and Sir Edward Strachey, Bart., 



