As it was the Government had to issue an official
state- ment of their policy on the .recommendations of the Tribunal of Agricultural Investigation. It consists of three points : (i.) The Government consider that the Railway Companies are in a position to cut drastically the Railway Rates. The remedy, however, lies in the hands of the industry itself and all the Government can do is to offer its good offices between the agriculturists and the Companies. (ii.) It is not proposed to adopt the Tribunal's recommendations for a duty on _hops, but the Government will 1" deal with the question " before decontrol ends in 192. This is taken to fore- shadow a reduction of the price of beer" in the coming Budget. (iii.) The surplus of £1,250,000 in the Road Fund will be devoted to relieving the rates which go to the upkeep of rural roads. Also, a Bill will be introduced this Session to reduce the assessment of agricultural land from one-half to one-quarter. 'The third is, of course, the most important of the Government's proposals, but, in our opinion, it .does not go .far enough. The other recommendations of the Tribunal are not mentioned. We have written on the whole agricultural problem in our .first leading article.
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