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The Revival of Village Industries. 



[July, 



The importance of rural industries in meeting the pressing 

 problem of the disabled soldier cannot be overlooked. There are 

 probably 100,000 or more ex-soldiers whose state of health unfits 

 them both for the conditions of work in town factories and for 

 the arduous routine of the agricultural labourer. To such men, 

 capable often of only part time work, the village workshop seems 

 to offer the employment most likely to encourage their ultimate 

 return to health. 



The pressing importance of these and other aspects of rural 

 industries development had for some time engaged the attention 

 of the Development Commissioners. After calling for expert 

 reports on the matter and thoroughly exploring the whole sub- 

 ject, the Commissioners approachecf the Treasury for a grant to 

 enable some central organization to be established with a view to 

 providing a recognized centre for the distribution of authoritative 

 advice and reliable data affecting the revival or establishment of 

 rural industries. The Treasury sanctioned the grant, and accord- 

 ingly the " Rural Industries Intelligence Bureau "* was formed 

 under a Trust Deed with the following trustees appointed by the 

 Ministry of Agriculture : — Major-General Sir Gerard M. Heath, 

 K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.; Sir Charles McLeod; Sir Basil 

 Mayhew, K.B.E., F.C.A. ; Sir Douglas Newton, K.B.E., M.P. ; 

 The Hon. Edward G. Strutt, C,H. 



The Committee has as its Chairman the Right Hon. Lord 

 Ernie, P.C., M.Y.O., and is composed of the trustees in associa- 

 tion with representatives of the Board of Trade, the Ministry of 

 Health, the Board of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries, the Ministry of Labour, the Board of Agriculture for 

 Scotland, the Ministry of Pensions, the Forestry Commission, 

 the Labour Party, the British Legion and all other interested 

 associations. 



The Director of the Bureau is Mr. E. Cecil Knv, who has devoted 

 much time to a practical first-hand study of the rural industries 

 in most European countries and combines with this intimate 

 knowledge of rural organization a wide technical knowledge of 

 the industries mainly affected. 



The Bureau is thus controlled by a body equally representative 

 of social interests and of technical and business experience. It is 

 essentially an organization set up for practical purposes. The 

 constitution of the Committee seems to indicate that in dealing 

 with the many important questions that await settlement, the 

 wider national outlook will be associated with the parochial 



* 258/262, Westminster Bridge Road, S.E.I. 



