940 



Council of Agriculture. 



[Jan., 



he thought it should be put right by legislation. In his view 

 it was an entirely illegal and absurd injustice to the small man 

 and he believed that there ought to be enough money over or 

 money voted by Parliament to enable these fractions to be 

 paid for. 



Mr. McCracken moved : — 



" That in the opinion of this Council it is desirable that a carefully 

 considered record should be prepared, so as to be available for reference 

 in any future emergency, of the policy pursued in relation to Agriculture 

 during the Great War ; and that in order to prepare such record full 

 investigation should be made, by such means as the Ministry in their 

 wisdom think best, now, while the facts and circumstances are f resii in 

 the memories of those most conversant with them, into : — 



(1) The efficacy or otherwise of the various Orders made in securing 

 the results desired. 



(2) The administration and effect of those orders. 



(3) Improvements in policy and procedure which careful consideration 

 and experience gained may suggest." 



He suggested that the carrying out of the motion would not 

 involve any considerable expenditure. In any case it was 

 essential that the inquiry should be conducted on anti-waste 

 principles. The result should be historic in character. He 

 instanced one or two cases of unfortunate policies which had 

 been adopted during the War in which the existence of a care- 

 ful record might prevent their recurrence at any future time.; 

 Mr. Colin Campbell seconded the motion, saying that he 

 hoped the occasion would never arise in which to use the 

 experience proposed to be recorded. 



The Minister of Agriculture said that he w^as generally in 

 sympathy with the objects of Mr. McCracken' s motion and, as 

 a matter of fact, considerable steps had already been taken to 

 carry out what was proposed. Eecords had already been 

 published in the Reports of the War Cabinet for the year 1917- 

 1918 and in the proceedings of the Food Production Depart- 

 ment. Sir Thomas Middleton, who had been principal officer of 

 •the Food Production Department, was publishing a book on 

 Food Production as one of a series to be entitled " The 

 Economic and Social History of the World War " to be issued 

 by the Carnegie Trust. He suggested that the Council should 

 await the publication of this book before asking the Ministry 

 to take further steps. The motion was then put to the Meeting 

 •and carried. 



Lord Strachie moved : — 



" That it is desirable that a full report of all Meetings of the Council 

 and of the Agricultural Advisory Committee should appear in the Journal 

 of the Ministry of Agriculture." 



