72 AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION 



advantages that would needs arise when the State sought to 

 deal with questions as to the business relations between 

 producers, dealers and consumers. 



Agricultural organisation is thus not superseding, but 

 supplementing, State action. It is simply the logical, though 

 indispensable, sequel thereto. 



Rural Housing. 



Another subject which has attracted considerable attention 

 of late is that of rural housing. 



There are not sufficient cottages in the country districts, 

 and one of the principal reasons why more are not built is 

 that labourers cannot afford to pay the rents which would 

 have to be paid to ensure a reasonable return on construction 

 — and especially on the construction of the superior type of 

 cottages that may alone be built under what are declared to 

 be unduly exacting rural bye-laws. 



The alternative would seem to rest between (i) an altera- 

 tion in the bye-laws, so as to allow of cheaper cottages ; 

 and (2) the payment of higher wages which would permit, 

 in turn, of higher rents. The adoption of the former remedy 

 may be hoped for in course of time ; that of the latter is 

 objected to by the farmers on the ground that they cannot 

 afford to pay higher wages. 



If, however, by means of agricultural co-operation, the 

 farmers are enabled to effect material savings in production 

 and on transport, and, at the same time, secure a better 

 return from sales, they should then be well able to give the 

 higher wages which would enable their labourers to pay 

 reasonable rents for decent cottages. 



Credit. 



Many, if not most, of the arguments advanced in favour 

 of the fundamental principles of agricultural credit, as 

 adopted in Germany, Denmark and other foreign countries, 

 apply with equal force to Great Britain, and they do so with 

 this additional consideration as regards ourselves — that here 

 the agriculturist's opportunity of securing credit through the 



