epresented the popularly-elected local authorities, thought
differently, they had a power of veto and could use it in this case.

Sir Horace Plunkett held the position of Vice-President of the
Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction from 1899 to 1907,
and during his tenure of office, as I had always expected and intended,
there was close co-operation between the Department and the I.A.O.S.
During that period a sum amounting in all to less than L30,000 was paid
by the Department to the I.A.O.S., of which more than half was for
technical instruction, while the balance represented contributions to
the work of co-operative organisation.[74]

When Sir H. Plunkett was replaced by Mr. T. W. Russell, the pressure of
the Irish Parliamentary Party immediately began to make itself felt. The
new vice-president informed the Council of Agriculture that he had made
up his mind to withdraw the subsidy, but he undertook to continue a
diminishing grant for three years, L3000 for the first year, L2000 for
the second, and L1000 for the third. The I.A.O.S. were not seriously
opposed to the gradual withdrawal of the subsidy, the loss of which they
hoped to be able to cover in course of time by increased voluntary
subscriptions.

The opposition of the Nationalist Party was, however, not yet
exhausted. In the _Freeman's Journal _of January 21, 1908, there
appeared a letter from Mr. John Redmond enclosing a copy of a letter
from Mr. T. W. Rolleston to a correspondent at St. Louis. Mr. Rolleston
accompanied his letter with a copy of a speech by Sir Horace Plunkett.
In his letter he remarked plainly upon the antagonism displayed by the
Irish Nationalists to the co-operative movement. Although Sir Horace
Plunkett declared that he had nothing whatever to do with the letter,
the Irish Parliamentarians professed to find in it abundant proof of an
intention to destroy Nationalism. "That correspondence," said Mr. T. W.
Russell,"[75] compelled me to take action. Mr. John Redmond made it
imperative upon me by his letter--I mean a public letter to the
Press--and as so much was involved, I took the precaution of convening a
special meeting of the Agricultural Board." The Board decided that the
subsidy should be withdrawn at the end of the year 1908.

The last act in this drama of hostility to Sir Horace Plunkett and all
his works is still in the course of being played. Under the provisions
of the Development Fund Act of 1909, the Development