THE STATE AS FARMER 107 



even under a State subsidy, does not claim 

 the right to organise : it seems content to 

 go on just as if it were one of our usual 

 permissive Acts of Parliament which remain 

 unapplied because of the refusal of the baser 

 and more ignorant sort to move. 



I have referred on an earlier page to the 

 efforts of the society in the direction of 

 fruit pulping. The following passage shows 

 how far behind the times we are : 



At the time the war broke out, the fruit and 

 vegetable crop of this country was very abundant, 

 and there was every prospect of considerable waste 

 owing to lack of marketing facilities. The A.O.S. 

 judged it the moment for the development of the 

 industries of fruit-bottling and preserving, and of 

 fruit and vegetable drying, as this country had 

 hitherto been largely dependent on Germany for her 

 supplies of the products of these industries. Their 

 development would mean likewise the opening up 

 of a new source of employment for women. The 

 A.O.S. at once got into touch with the members 

 of the Cabinet Committee directly concerned 

 with questions of relief and unemployment, and a 

 Conference was arranged at which representative 

 growers and representatives of Agricultural Colleges, 

 A.O.S. affiliated societies, the Board of Agriculture, 

 and the Development Commission were present. 



