zgzo.] 



Village Life. 



unable to carry out the work until the harvest was gathered. 

 One or two counties had nearly a full complement of tractors 

 for the whole period ; some were able to dispense with any 

 further help after the spring cultivations ; others retained 

 horses and dispensed with tractors. 



The process of liquidation has thus been drawn out for more 

 than a year, but is now practically completed. All horses 

 have been sold, and only a few tractors and implements remain 

 on hand for disposal. All tractors worth repairing were put 

 in running order before the sales, which were held in the 

 localities where they had been working. Horses were carefully 

 " vetted " before being sold. The interval between the use of 

 tractors and horses under the Government Scheme and their 

 use in private ownership was thereby made as short as possible. 

 That these measures were successful is shown by two facts : — • 

 (i) high prices were realised at the Government sales — in some 

 cases more than the original cost ; and (2) there was an almost 

 entire absence of complaints, although it was anticipated that 

 a certain amount of hardship in individual cases would result 

 when the Government Schemes came to an end. 



Under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Act, 191 9, 

 the County Agricultural Committees which are to be formed 

 are charged with the duty of making 

 County Agricultural « ^^^^i inquiries as appear to them to be 

 Committees and j • ri -^i • ^ r 1 



Village Life desirable with a view to formulating 



schemes for the development of rural 

 industries and social life in rural places, and for the co-ordina- 

 tion of action by local authorities and other bodies by which 

 such development may be affected." The Committees are 

 enjoined " to report the result of such inquiries to the ^Ministry 

 and to any local authority or body concerned, and the expenses 

 incurred by the Committee under this sub-section, to such 

 amount as may be sanctioned by the Ministry with the approval 

 of the Treasury, shall be defrayed by the Ministry." 



These Committees are thus given an important duty to per- 

 form, and if they address themselves to it \vith ardour and 

 determination, they will do a great deal towards brightening 

 and enriching village Hfe. Apart from the starting of new 

 rural industries in suitable localities, efforts are called for to 

 induce manufacturers, whose goods can be made in the homes 

 of cottagers, to open branches of their factories in rural areas. 



4 H 2 



