350 MISCELLANEOUS 



deliberation is often harrowing to the enthusiast, it tends to 

 sound conclusions in the end. 



The hurried survey which the number of topics has rendered 

 necessary in this valedictory chapter will not be complete 

 without a few words on the personnel of the Council.* 

 In a body of this size there are, of course, constant changes 

 taking place, and some local Chambers change their deputy 

 so often that he gets no chance of becoming known by his 

 colleagues on the Council. Some Chambers, on the other 

 hand (especially those who send more than one deputy), 

 re-elect one of them year after year, and it is surprising how 

 many years some have held their seats. Our late Treasurer, 

 Sir Bowen Bowen-Jones, Mr. James Round, Major Craigie. 

 and Mr. Herman Biddell, have been with us since the very 

 earliest years of the Chamber's history. Several otheis can 

 show attendance for twenty or more years ; but the record 

 is held by Mr. Samuel Kidner, of the Taunton Farmers' 

 Club, who has sat continuously for twenty-three years, and 

 during the whole of that period has never missed one 

 single meeting. Moreover, he is the only deputy for whom 

 a double fee is paid, in order that he may have two votes . 

 This continuity in a fair proportion of its membership is one 

 of the reasons why the Chambers have met with so much 

 success. It would be invidious to pick out individuals as 

 especially deserving of honour from agriculturists where so 

 many have done such good work ; but readers of this book 

 cannot fail to note the repetition of the names of many men 

 who, outside their own immediate circle, are to-day hardly 

 more than a memory, but who deserve a lasting memorial for 

 the energy they have displayed, often in face of every dis- 

 couragement, in doing their best for British agriculture. 



Corn Averages and Official Statistics. 



In 1869 the Council unanimously expressed the opinion that 

 the corn averages as then taken were fallacious, and that 

 the buyers' returns should be limited to purchases from 



* See also note at foot of page 165. 



