II30 



Official Notices and Circulars. 



[FEB., 



Every County Council (except the London County Council) is re- 

 quired to establish an Agricultural Committee to be appointed in 

 part by the County Council and in part by the Minister. The County 

 Council is to nominate not less than two-thirds of the members, and 

 persons so nominated need not be members of the Council if the Council 

 so determine. Each Council must make a scheme establishing an 

 Agricultural Committee to be approved by the Minister before 23rd 

 June, 1920, and if by that date a scheme has not been approved, the 

 Minister may make a scheme after consultation with the Council. 



Powers of the new Committees. — To the Agricultural Committee 

 and its Sub-Committees in each county will stand referred all matters 

 relating to the exercise of the Council's powers under : — 



(1) The Destructive Insects and Pests Acts, 1877 and 1907. 



(2) The Diseases of Animals Acts, 1894 I9I4' 



(3) The Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1906. 



(4) The Land Drainage Act, 1918. 



(5) The Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1919; 

 and also all other matters relating to agriculture except [a) 

 such matters as under the Education Act, 1902, stand referred 

 to the Education Committee, and (b) the raising of a rate or 

 borrowing. 



With regard to education, provision is made for arranging that 

 matters relating to agricultural education, which otherwise would 

 stand referred to the Education Committee, may be referred to the 

 Agricultural Committee. 



A County Council may delegate to the Agricultural Committee any 

 of their powers in relation to the matters specified above It will, 

 however, obviously be impossible for an Agricultural Committee itself 

 to deal with the whole of the matters brought within its range, and the 

 Act therefore provides for the appointment of Sub-Committees and 

 for delegation to those Sub-Committees of any of the powers of the 

 Agricultural Committee. The scheme should provide the necessary 

 authority for such delegation of powers to Sub-Committees. 



The Act authorises payment as part of the expenses of the Agricul- 

 tural Committee of travelling expenses and subsistence allowance of 

 members of that Committee or of any of its Sub-Committees if the 

 scheme so provides. 



It is obligatory for the Agricultural Committee to appoint : — 



(1) A Small Holdings and Allotments Sub-Committee. 



(2) A Diseases of Animals Sub-Committee. 



These Sub-Committees will act as the Statutory Committees under 

 the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts, 190 8-1 91 9, and the Diseases 

 of Animals Act, 1894, respectively. The Small Holdings and Allot- 

 ments Sub-Committee will, until 31st March, 1926, have full executive 

 powers (except the power to raise a rate or loan) without special delega- 

 tion of powers by the County Council or the Agricultural Committee, 

 The Act provides that this Sub-Committee shall comprise one or more 

 members to represent tenants of small holdings and allotments. 



The Minister may authorise the Agricultural Committee or a Sub- 

 Committee to exercise on his behalf any of his powers under Part IV, 

 of the Corn Production Act, 191 7, or Part II. of the Land Drainage 

 Act, 1 91 8.* 



* See article on Land Drainage in this issue, p. 1088. 



