280 



October, 1912. 



Local Bodies Essential for Success, 



India stands in such a very special position in respect to the 

 character of the vast mass of its cultivators and the greater part of its 

 agriculture that it might be, and has indeed been often askdd by men 

 of small or limited experience, whether under the special circumstances 

 of the case, it is either necessary or advisable to encourage such local 

 bodies as we are discussing. Cannot the Agricultural Department com- 

 municate directly with the cultivators ? Is not such communication with, 

 and help given to, individuals of equal value to work done by and 

 through a local association or any kind whatever ? While this can be 

 done, while it is possible to deal direct with every cultivator in the 

 districts, it is becoming more and more clear that this is not generally the 

 best or most economical way of proceeding. A local organised body is a 

 far more efficient agent for the introduction of improvements than the 

 few officers of the agricultural department, working individually, can 

 ever be, for, being a body of local men, it carries considerable 

 local influence if composed of the right people, the members can 

 and do mutually encourage one another while its educative value 

 in combined work and co-opeiative effort is, if properly organised, 

 greater than can be realised. Even if the same end can be gained, so far 

 as the introduction of an improvement is concerned, without a local asso- 

 ciation, a better final result can often be attained if a local body, as such, 

 takes a share in the matter; as tending to increase the co-operative 

 spirit of the people and hence the likelihood of permanent advance. 



Success Depends on Definte Lines of Action. 



Success with such associations can, however, only be reached by 

 following certain lines which can now be laid down with some approach 

 to certainty. However organised, it is necessary that (1) every local 

 association should have a definite work to do, and the members should 

 feel responsibility for taking a share in it. In the past it has not been at 

 all unusual for an association to fail because the members have not been 

 responsible for any work. Again the first question by a local body, how- 

 ever got together, is " What shall we do ? " Unless the organisers of every 

 single association, generally the agricultural department, have definite 

 work which can be placed in the hands of the members, within their 

 capacity, it is extremely unwise to attempt any organisation whatever, 



(2) A local association should be composed of men who are really 

 interested — and practically interested— in agricultural improvements in 

 the area in question. 



Associations have perhaps more often failed on account of the neglect 

 of this matter than for any other reason. The members had but an 

 academical interest in the subject, became members because of social or 

 other reasons, and did not take its work seriously. 



(3) The work of a local association should be regularly inspected, 

 examined, criticised, and the association called together. Great stress 

 must be laid on this matter, and it is probable, for instance, that a con- 

 siderable part of the increasing efficiency of the system in the Central 

 Provinces has been due to the care which is taken in this matter. It 

 undoubtedly involves on the part of the agricultural department (or a 

 central body of some sort) a considerable expense for inspecting officers, 

 but without this, it may be stated with certainty that the result will not 

 be a success except in rare cases. 



