Commissioners were
empowered to make advances for the organisation of co-operation, either
"to a Government Department or through a Government Department to a
voluntary association not trading for profit." During the Report stage
of the Development Fund Bill, Mr. Dillon tried to get a ruling from the
Solicitor-General that the I.A.O.S. would be excluded from receiving
grants from the fund, thus repeating the manoeuvre which he had already
unsuccessfully attempted in connection with the Agriculture and
Technical Instruction (Ireland) Bill of 1899.

In accordance with this provision, the three Agricultural Organisation
Societies for England, Scotland, and Ireland, each applied for a grant
in aid. The applications were referred in due course for report to the
Government Departments concerned--that is to say, to the Board of
Agriculture and Fisheries for the English and Scottish applications, and
to the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for that from
the I.A.O.S. The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries reported favourably,
and the British and Scottish Organisation Societies are to have their
grant. But the I.A.O.S. had to reckon with Mr. T. W. Russell, behind
whom stood Mr. Dillon and the politicians. The report of the Irish
Department on the Irish application was adverse, but the Commissioners
do not appear to have found the reasons given convincing. Much delay
ensued, but, ten months after the application was sent in, the matter
was submitted to the Council of Agriculture.

The machinery of the United Irish League was brought into action to
influence the votes of this body. Mr. Russell delivered an impassioned
harangue, and eventually the Council was induced to endorse his action
by a majority of 47 to 33.

Any grant in aid of agricultural co-operation is to be administered, if
Mr. Russell has his way, not by the society which has already been
instrumental in establishing nearly a thousand co-operative associations
in Ireland, and has served as a model on which the corresponding English
and Scottish Organisation Societies, now in the enjoyment of a State
subsidy, have been founded, but by the Department, which has hitherto
had no experience whatever of such work. Moreover, the co-operation
promoted by the Department is to be "non-competitive," by which I
suppose is meant, that it is not to affect any existing trading
interest. It is safe to say that agricultural co-operation, which has
_no_ effect upo