772 Meetings of the Agricultural Council. [Dec, 



With reference to the articles on New Farm Institutes which 



have appeared in this Journal, it is of very considerable interest 



_.■ . ... to note that nine Farm Institutes which 

 Entries at the , , . , , , ,. 



New Farm opened recently have a total accommodation 



Institutes students, and that 216 students 



have been already enrolled. Seven of the 



Institutes have enrolled practically all the students they can 



accept, and in two cases only has there been a failure to secure 



students approximating to the maximum number which can be 



accommodated. 



The 5th meeting of the Council of Agriculture for England 

 took place at the Middlesex Guildhall, Westminster, on 

 4th October, the Earl of Selborne, K.G., 

 Meetings of the &.CM.G. , being in the chair. Sir Douglas 

 Council of Newton moved the following Kesolution: — 



Agriculture u That in view of , the Bu dclen and drastic 



for England. alteration made by the Government in their 



agricultural policy, they are hereby respectfully 

 requested to make provision for advances on loan, in approved cases, of 

 working capital to farmers who have recently purchased their holdings,, 

 on somewhat similar lines to those followed in the case of small holders." 



An amendment to delete the words " who have recently 

 purchased their holdings " w 7 as moved but not carried; and, 

 in the course of further discussion, Sir Francis Floud, 

 Permanent Secretary, suggested, on behalf of the Minister, the 

 addition of the following words to the original motion: — 



" and that the Agricultural Advisory Committee should be asked to 

 appoint a Special Committee of members of this Council to consider 

 whether a sound system of credit can be devised for submission to the 

 Government." 



The original motion, with the words added as proposed by 

 Sir Francis Floud, w-as then put to the meeting and carried. 



Mr. German moved the following Resolution, which was 

 carried unanimously: — 



" That this Council draws the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture 

 to the hardships imposed upon small farmers by ruling out fractions of an 

 acre in the total claimed for by growers in respect of wheat and oats of 

 the 1921 crops. Since rates and taxes have to be paid on these fractions 

 and labour bills paid for their cultivation, the Council is of opinion that 

 the Ministry has no justification in law or equity for ruling that the 

 ' acre ' in the Act of Parliament does not include parts of an acre, and 

 that the only effect of this uncalled-for economy is to deprive these small 

 farmers of sums to which their right has been legally recognised."* 



* A copy of the statement on this subject made by the Minister in the 

 House of Commons on 31st October, is given on p. 859. 



