The second function of the Council is exercised only at its first meeting, and consequently but once in three years.  At this first triennial meeting it becomes an Electoral College.  It divides itself into four Provincial Committees, each of which elects two members to represent its province on the Agricultural Board and one member to represent it on the Board of Technical Instruction.  The Agricultural Board, which controls a sum of over L100,000 a year, consists of twelve members, and as eight out of the twelve are elected by the four Provincial Committees—­the remaining four being appointed by the Department, one from each province—­it will be seen that the Council of Agriculture exercises an influence upon the administration commensurate with its own representative character.  The Board of Technical Instruction, consisting of twenty-one members, together with the President and Vice-President of the Department, has a less simple constitution, owing to the fact that it is concerned with the more complex life of the urban districts of the country.  As I have said, the Council of Agriculture elects only four members—­one for each province.  The Department appoints four others; each of the County Boroughs of Dublin and Belfast appoints three members; the remaining four County Boroughs appoint one member each; a joint Committee of the Councils of the large urban districts surrounding Dublin appoint one member; one member is appointed by the Commissioners of National Education, and one member by the Intermediate Board of Education.

The two Boards have to advise upon all matters submitted to them by the Department in connection, in the one case, with agriculture and other rural industries and inland fisheries, and, in the other case, in connection with Technical Instruction.  The advisory powers of the Boards are very real, for the expenditure of all moneys out of the Endowment funds is subject to their concurrence.  Hence, while they have not specific administrative powers and apparently have only the right of veto, it is obvious that, if they wished, they might largely force their own views upon the Department by refusing to sanction the expenditure of money upon any of the Department’s proposals, until these were so modified as practically to be their own proposals.  It is, therefore, clear that the machinery can only work harmoniously and efficiently so long as it is moved by a right spirit.  Above all it is necessary that the central administrative body should gain such a measure of popular confidence as to enable it, without loss of influence, to resist proposals for expenditure upon schemes which might ensure great popularity at the moment, but would do permanent harm to the industrial character we are all trying to build up.  I need not fear contradiction at the hands of a single member of either Board when I say that up to the present perfect harmony has reigned throughout.  The utmost consideration has been shown by the Boards for the difficulties which the Department have to overcome; and I think I may add that due regard has been paid by the administrative authority to the representative character and the legitimate wishes of the bodies which advise and largely control it.