International Agricultural Institute. 



31 



technical body. One duty of each Sub-Committee is to 

 consider and advise on subjects which come within its sphere. 

 It may not and must not infringe the authority of the 

 Permanent Committee, which alone and ultimately decides. 



The members who also form part of the Permanent Com- 

 mittee do not retain altogether their representative character 

 within the Sub-Committee. They are no longer representa- 

 tives of a particular State, but official delegates invested with 

 a technical mission, on an equality in their scientific and 

 practical work, and with no voting privileges. The special 

 duty of the Sub-Committee is to transmit to the Permanent 

 Committee, after consideration, the technical reports supplied 

 by the Divisions. Technical experts complete the consultative 

 body. 



The scale is further reduced, and in the second degree is 

 placed a Committee of Selection — or rather a body of men 

 independently selected by their colleagues on account of their 

 ability, devotion, and scientific and personal qualifications, 

 viz. : the Special Committee, which acts as the Executive 

 Committee of the President of the Institute. The main object 

 of the Special Committee is to collate the work of the Divisions 

 and of the Sub-Committees, and to centralise the organisation 

 and administration. It will direct, control, and elaborate the 

 work of the subsidiary parts, establishing a unity of thought 

 and of action in order to obtain from all the machinery a 

 maximum of useful results with a minimum of useless efforts. 



Administration. 



The technical and administrative organisation aims at one 

 object only, viz. : to obtain the best possible working system. 

 What elements are employed to obtain this end ? 



Firstly, the Staff is international, an obvious consequence 

 of the character of an official institution. 



Secondly, the Regulations relating to the Staff ensure 

 knowledge, experience, integrity, methodical and continuous 

 work, initiative, promotion, and discipline. It also safe- 

 guards the moral and material welfare of the officials. 



Who are the officials ? 



The General Secretary, who, under the direction and super- 

 vision of the Permanent Committee, is the administrative 



