790 Formation of CorNTY Agrictlturai, Committees. [Dec, 



by the County Council should be selected from among the 

 nominees of agricultural organisations having branches in the 

 county. 



It should be emphasised that the Act is not concerned 

 with agricultural policy, nor is it designed to supersede any 

 Committee of the County Council previously dealing with a 

 particular branch of agricultural administration. Its inten- 

 tion is to co-ordinate existing Committees, to fit them into a 

 general scheme, and to bring within the purview of a single 

 Committee, assisted by a number of Sub-Committees, all the 

 numerous powers and duties of the County Council relating to 

 agriculture; thus affording that industry in each county a 

 position appropriate to its importance. 



The wide scope of these Committees may be judged from 

 the fact that they will, as a general rule, administer, either 

 directly or through the medium of Sul)-Committees, the Small 

 Holdings and Allotments Acts, the Diseases of Animals Acts, 

 the Destructive Insects and Pests Acts, the Fertilisers and 

 Feeding Stuffs Act, Part I of the Land Drainage Act, 1918, 

 and the Rats and ^Nlice (Destruction) Act. In addition, most, 

 if not all, will have delegated to them the ^linister's powers 

 under Regulation '2'Sl of the Defence of the Realm Regulations 

 relating to the increase of food production, and, on the expira- 

 tion of those powers, the similar powers conferred by Part IV 

 of the Corn Production Act, 1917, as well as the powers under 

 Part II of the Land Drainage Act, 1918. They w^ill become 

 responsible for the work of the existing County Live Stock 

 and Horse-breeding Committees, and w411, in some instances, 

 .supervise agricultural education in the county. Besides under- 

 taking the administration of these important enactments. 

 Agricultural Committees will include among their duties the 

 task of fostering rural industries and initiating schemes for 

 the general emichinent of social life throughout the countryside. 



The first step towards setting up the Committees has been 

 the preparation by each County Council of a Scheme for the 

 establishment of the Committee, which was subject to approval 

 "by the Minister. In order to assist Councils in this respect 

 the ^Ministry formulated a INIodel Scheme, and it is gratifying 

 to observe that almost every County Council has adopted the 

 general provisions of the ^lodel, with such minor modifications 

 as were found expedient to meet the peculiarities of the 

 county. The last of the Schemes to be submitted to the 

 -Ministry received final approval early in September. 



