not see why he should be loyal to it if a trader offers him anything a shilling a ton cheaper.  A good committee is formed, but the members think they hold their offices mainly in order to get first cut for themselves at some good bargain the society has made, and they start with the delusion that they are good men of business.  Things, therefore, get into the hands of the manager, and it is astonishing how much more quickly a bad manager can lose money than a good one can make it.  And if in these and other ways it is uphill work with farmers’ societies, the work is still more uphill with small-holders.  It is the breath of their nostrils to bargain individually, and if a society is started they will only send their stuff to be sold when they and every one else have a glut, ungraded and badly packed—­and then they grumble at getting a low price.

But all co-operative work is abundantly worth while.  And the field of co-operation is not limited to the purchase of supplies or the sale of produce.  It ought to cover the use of tractors and threshing sets and the installation and distribution of power.  And if agriculture gets a chance of settling down to a moderate amount of stability and prosperity, it would not be beyond the bounds of hope that part, at any rate, of the profits of co-operative enterprise should be used to develop the amenities of the common life of the community—­to provide prizes for the sports and the flower show—­the capital to start an industry for the winter evenings, and even seats for the old people round the village green.

Times are not propitious for increasing the productivity of our land, excepting by the slow processes of education—­which work particularly slowly in agriculture.  Nor are they immediately propitious for raising the workers’ standard of life, though we should never leave go of this as an essential.  But many of us can, if we will, help a good man to start on the land, or help a man who has made good on the land to do better.  Many of us can help to develop real independence of life in the villages and, through co-operation, those kindly virtues of friendliness and helpfulness to others and willingness to work for common ends which are sometimes not so common as they might be.  And those who can do any of these things should, without waiting for legislation—­for the legislator is a bruised reed.

[Transcriber’s Notes:  The following apparent printer’s errors have been corrected for this electronic edition: 

misconduct necessitates military operations; was “operations:” 

and if he tries to make his responsibility real was “responsiblity”

things slide—­the main virtue of Cabinet was “virture”

are two which are almost invariably present towards was “invarably”]