862 



National Federation of Women's Institutes. [Dec, 



The subjects of the lectures were very varied and were so 

 chosen as to cover practically the whole ground of the Federa- 

 tion's activity, and to add to it a new field of technical and 

 historical interest. The principal Lecturers were Mr. Ashby 

 (Lecturer in the Institute for Eesearcli in Agricultural Eco- 

 nomics), Mr. C. G. T. Morrison (University Lecturer in Agri- 

 cultural Chemistry), Mr. C. S. Orwin. M.A. (Director of the 

 Institute for Research in Agricultural Economics), Mr. Ley 

 (Organist of Christ Church Cathedral), Dr. Lund, Mr. Cecil 

 Sharpe, Miss Hadow, and Miss Avice Trench. 



Mr. Ashby dealt with Outlines of Eural Development, Mr. 

 Orwin with Local Government and Administration, Miss 

 Hadow with the principles of Organisation from its theoretical 

 and practical sides, and as applied to the efforts of the Federation, 

 and Mr. C. G. T. Morrison with Agricultural Life in its Relation 

 to the Community. 



These and other lectures were followed by discussions during 

 which a lively questioning of the Lecturers by members of the 

 audience showed that the latter were well able to bring their 

 practical experience to bear upon the subjects dealt with ! 



The School at Oxford was followed by another of the same 

 kind at Aberystwyth, and both mark the cordial interest of the 

 Ministry of Agriculture in the growing work of the National 

 Federation. The work of the Federation cannot fail to grow 

 because it comes to meet so great a need. Dame Meriel Talbot 

 struck the keynote of the great spirit of the old guilds of crafts- 

 manship with their aim of a common brotherhood when she 

 pointed out that only through the love and knowledge of the 

 humble things of life a living idealism can be attained. The 

 ideals of the Federation are live ideals because they strive to 

 teach a restless generation that in a desultory search for pleasure 

 or power a man or woman may gain all and yet possess nothing. 



