330 EDUCATION 



schools to the agricultural college. An earnest hope was 

 expressed that the Boards of Agriculture and Education 

 might arrive at an interdepartmental arrangement whereby 

 a co-ordinated policy might be ensured. It concluded by 

 hoping that the County Councils' Association would call a 

 conference of Rural Education Authorities and practical 

 agriculturists at which all might express their views on the 

 whole subject of education in rural districts. 



A deputation was then arranged to the Presidents of the 

 two Departments concerned, and was received by these two 

 Ministers on 9th March, when the various points dealt with 

 in the report were enlarged upon by the different speakers. 

 Their representations were very sympathetically received by 

 Lord Carrington and Mr. Runciman, and effect was very soon 

 given to at least one of the proposals, for in the following 

 September a Memorandum (Cd. 4886) was issued, signed by 

 the two Presidents, providing for the appointment of an 

 Interdepartmental Committee and constituting a Rural 

 Education Conference. The Memorandum also denned the 

 functions of the Board of Agriculture for dealing with agricul- 

 tural colleges, and pointed out the distinction between the 

 functions of the two Departments more clearly than had 

 hitherto been the case. 



The County Councils' Association, acting on the suggestion 

 made by the Central Chamber's Committee, called a con- 

 ference which was attended by representatives of more than 

 fifty county councils and educational institutions, when 

 Mr. Henry Hobhouse presided, and a number of important 

 resolutions were carried. The first of these, headed " How 

 Rural Education can best be Promoted in Elementary 

 Schools," aroused so much discussion that it was referred to 

 a special Committee of the Conference, and the report of this. 

 Committee, taking the form of three resolutions, occupied 

 the whole day on 14th July of this year. The Chamber 

 nominated the Earl of Chichester, Lord Desborough, Mr. 

 Courthope, M.P., Sir Francis Channing, M.P., Mr. Trustram 

 Eve, Mr. Haviland, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. R. G. Patterson, Mr. 

 Martin Sutton, and Mr. A. H. H. Matthews (Secretary) as 



