AN AGRICULTURAL PARTY 347 



certain Bill ; only one took the trouble to reply. The attend- 

 ance of members at meetings of the Parliamentary Committee 

 of the Central Chamber is deplorable usually three or four out 

 of fifteen ; yet these meetings are always held in the House of 

 Commons in order to meet the convenience of members. The 

 late Government allowed six hours for the discussion of agri- 

 cultural questions in five sessions, but the only protest came 

 from outside the House of Commons. Last session the Govern- 

 ment gave a day to the vote for the Board of Agriculture ; only 

 one agricultural member had any question to raise, and the day 

 was occupied on matters outside agriculture, while scarcely a 

 score of members representing agricultural divisions took the 

 trouble to attend. There have been more than 100 Acts passed 

 during the past thirty-eight years which increased the burden of 

 local taxation ; but, with the exception of the action taken 

 against the Education Bill of 1902, they have passed almost with- 

 out protest. Nearly one hundred M.P. 's were specifically requested 

 (during the session of 1907) to urge that the cost of administering 

 the Destructive Insects Act should be defrayed by the National 

 Exchequer instead of out of the rates ; not one single member 

 raised the matter in the House. This sort of example can be 

 multiplied indefinitely. 



8. One of the most important aspects of the whole question 

 is the class of candidates brought forward and the way in which 

 these candidates are forced upon some agricultural constituencies. 

 In the course of their inquiry your Committee have come across 

 several instances where the party organisations have selected 

 carpet-baggers when they might have nominated a suitable 

 candidate for an agricultural constituency. 



9. It will be found in practice that there is no one method 

 which will bring about the formation of an Agricultural Party, 

 nor must it be expected that a strong party will develop in a short 

 time. There is much work to be done in many directions, and a 

 considerable expenditure will be required. We are of opinion 

 that the best way to carry out this will be by the appointment of 

 a Special Standing Committee, having a separate entity and yet 

 working in accord with the Central Chamber, holding a position 

 somewhat analogous to the late Local Taxation Committee. In order- 

 to ensure complete harmony prevailing between the Central Chamber 

 and such Committee, we suggest that at least one-half of the Executive 

 should be nominated annually by the Central Chamber. For the 

 purposes of this Committee a fund shall be started, which should 

 be kept distinct from the current account of the Central Chamber, 

 and local Chambers and others are now invited to subscribe to 

 this fund without delay. 



10. Your Committee have in the course of several meetings 

 considered the details of future action with a view to getting a 

 better representation of agriculture in the House of Commons. 

 They consider it would be unwise to set out in detail the methods 



