ii4 AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION 



C— STATE AID AND PUBLIC APPROVAL. 



While the Agricultural Organisation Society had started 

 as a propagandist institution entirely dependent on volun- 

 tary contributions, the importance of the work it was doing 

 received early official recognition of a character which, in the 

 circumstances, was especially gratifying and encouraging. 



The Board of Agriculture. 



At a conference on agricultural co-operation arranged by 

 the agricultural students of the Aberystwith University, and 

 held there on December ist, 1902, the late Mr. R. W. 

 Hanbury, then President of the Board of Agriculture, said : — 



I am not only personally in favour of agricultural co-operation, 

 but I think it is an object that ought to be assisted as far as the 

 Government can reasonably assist it. I do not say it is a panacea 

 for all the evils and troubles of agriculturists. . . . The troubles 

 of agriculturists have got to be removed by applying a great 

 number of remedies, and especially those remedies which are 

 suitable to all places. Although co-operation is not the cure-all, 

 although it is not a panacea, upon my honour I believe it comes 

 nearer to being such than a good many of the remedies we some- 

 times hear of. . . . It is the best form of self-help. . . . Let 

 farmers consider that theirs is a business. ... I should like to 

 see the farmers of this country a great deal better organised than 

 they are. . . . You should put pressure upon any Government, 

 by whatever name it may be called, to do justice to this great 

 industry. I therefore ask you, as farmers, to organise and bring 

 pressure upon any Government to see that justice is done. 



Mr. Hanbury also attended the first public meeting of 

 members and subscribers held at the Westminster Palace 

 Hotel on April 29th, 1902, on which occasion he said, in the 

 course of another most sympathetic speech — 



He did not know that pecuniary assistance could be given to 

 the A. O. S. from the State, but he wished by his presence to show 

 that his department was ready to take an interest in their im- 

 portant work, and hoped that the work of both would be brought 

 into closer touch. They would be pleased to render help and 

 information in every way, and he himself would like to become a 

 member. 



