64 AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION 



apply equally well to this country ; but there is here this 

 further consideration, — that in improving their own agri- 

 cultural position, and in extending the volume of their own 

 output, many of these other countries — including most of 

 those on the continent of Europe, together with Canada, 

 Australia, South Africa and Argentina — are looking to 

 British markets as a means of disposing of their own surplus 

 production. 



Thus the more that agricultural organisation spreads 

 abroad, the more will foreign competition increase on our 

 own markets, and the greater will be the need for the British 

 farmer to defend his own interests by himself also resorting 

 to the same principle. 



This is not the place in which to discuss disputed questions 

 in regard to protective duties. It might, nevertheless, be 

 pointed out that, even assuming such duties should be 

 imposed in the interests of British farmers, they might fail 

 in their purpose unless, with the help of agricultural organisa- 

 tion, the British farmer secured, as far as possible, the same 

 economic advantages as the foreigner had gained by that 

 means, since the savings effected by the foreigner, together 

 with his better system of marketing, might still enable him 

 to compete successfully with our own growers when these 

 were producing at greater cost and marketing under less 

 satisfactory conditions. 



The phases of agricultural organisation more especially 

 called for in Great Britain are : (i) economic production ; 

 (2) combination for transport ; and (3) scientific marketing. 



Production. 



Apart from that question of credit which, as I have shown, 

 formed the initial stage of the movement in Germany in the 

 middle of the nineteenth century, the beginnings of agricul- 

 tural organisation in general are to be found in combination 

 for the purchase of agricultural necessaries with a view both 

 to economy in production and to a guarantee of good 

 qualities. 



