The Prime Minister addressed a huge meeting in Lincoln- shire
on Thursday, July 21st. He gave a wide review of agricultural conditions here and elsewhere and a fairly gloomy review it was, for British agriculturists are not alone in the dumps. He was honest enough not to hold out hopes that a Conservative Government could cure all the present ills, although he claimed that it had done several useful things. This enabled him to mock at the promises held out by others. He spoke of the National Farmers' Union with evident annoyance at its political activities, which should be subordinate to activities in the business and industry of farming. We have ourselves wished that we could see more traces of the admirable work of the old Agricultural Organization Society being carried on by the Union. Mr. Baldwin urged " team work " to avoid such unnecessary methods as always buying at retail and selling at wholesale prices. The one douceur he held out was a scheme to be introduced next year for long credits for farmers, but his main advice was the one that has grown almost strange to our ears, to cultivate hard work and self-reliance. He also bade farmers seek better marketing, better quality, and franker and closer working with their labourers.
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