1920.] 



Official Notices and Circulars. 



1129 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND CIRCULARS. 



N.B. — The Orders mentioned in this section of the Journal 

 may usually he obtained at the price of id. each from 

 H.M. Stationery Office, Imperial House, Kingsway, Londmt, 

 W.C. 2, and 28, Abingdon Street, London, S.W. i ; 37, Peter 

 Street, Manchester, and 1, St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff. 



The following Circular Letter (No. C.L. 276/C.i) was addressed to 

 County Councils in England and Wales, except the London County 

 Council, by the Ministry on 1 5th Januan,^ : — 

 Ministry Sir, — I am directed by the Minister of 



of Agriculture and Agriculture and Fisheries to invite the atten- 

 Fisheriei Act, tion of your Council to the provisions of the 

 1919. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Act, 



1 91 9,* which received the Royal Assent on 



23rd December, 191 9. 



This Act is not concerned in any way with agricultural policy, but 

 is simply a measure for rendering more efficient the existing machinery 

 for dealing with agricultural matters. It marks an epoch in the history 

 of County administration, for it enables the numerous powers and duties 

 of the County Council, in regard to agriculture, to be brought within 

 the range of a single Committee. Furthermore, it brings formally within 

 the County organisation the work now done by the Agricultural Executive 

 Committees. 



It cannot be emphasised too clearly that the Act is not designed 

 to supersede any Committee of the County Council now dealing with 

 a particular branch of administration. On the contrary, it is the 

 intention of the Act that so far as possible the existing Committees 

 should be linked together and fitted into a general scheme, which will 

 give to agriculture in the work of the County Councils a position 

 appropriate to its importance. Certain changes may be needed in order 

 to obtain a workable scheme, but, broadly speaking, no efficient 

 machinery need be scrapped, and no existing Committee of the County 

 Council dealing with agriculture need be placed in a position of less 

 authority in consequence of the passing of the Act. 



The Minister would like to take this opportunity of expressing his 

 high appreciation of the admirable and efficient work done by those 

 who undertake, often at the cost of much personal sacrifice, the ever 

 increasing burden imposed on Local Authorites in connection with the 

 local adminstration of matters affecting the agricultural industry. 

 Lord Lee feels confident that under the new legislation the authority 

 of County Councils in dealing with agricultural matters will be 

 strengthened and that the cordial relationship which has always existed 

 between Councils and the Ministry will be maintained. 



The Act makes provision for setting up Councils of Agriculture and 

 an Agricultural Advisory Committee for England and Wales, and also 

 an Agricultural Committee for each Administrative Count}^ and County 

 Borough. This Circular deals only with the County Committees pro- 

 vided for in Part III. of the Act, and its object is to set forth as 

 concisely as possible the main provisions of that Part of the Act and 

 to indicate their effect on county administration. 



* See also this Journal, January, 1920, p. 962. 



