during August and September by the Agricultural Committees. The Committees' reports satisfied the Board that in the great majority of claims the statements of acreage were approximately

correct.

On examination, a considerable proportion of the claims was found to be unsigned or unwitnessed, or to be otherwise imperfect, and the first process was to return these for completion. All claims were then compared with the relative schedules for the Agricultural Returns. Where the acreage claimed for exceeded that entered in the schedule, an inquiry was issued asking for an explanation, and inquiry was also made in cases where the claim was made by a person other than the one signing the schedule. Special inquiry had to be made in all cases where the land could not be identified in a schedule for the Agricultural Returns, and confirmation of the occupier's statement was, if necessary, obtained from the proprietor of the land.

In cases of change of tenancy, special forms of inquiry were issued to the claimants for the Board's guidance in applying the provisions of Sections 3 (1) of the Act of 1917. The Board were advised that under proviso (b) of that Section the incoming occupier was the person entitled to receive payment. Much public discussion took place regarding the respective rights of outgoing and incoming occupiers, and the Board were frequently asked for guidance in this matter. They replied that their duty was to pay the subsidy to the person entitled to receive it in accordance with the provisions of the Act, and that they had no power to instruct arbiters as to their procedure under proviso (b) of Section 3 (1).

Another question on which advice was taken was that of payment for fractions of an acre. On a case stated in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Board were advised that they had no power to make payment in respect of fractions, or in respect of an area less than one acre. As has been mentioned above, the period for receiving claims was extended to 19th July. On that date, however, there was still a large number outstanding, and claims continued to be received throughout August and September. On 20th September, the Board, again acting in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, intimated that the time would be extended to 3rd October. The reasons for failure to lodge claims within the period originally fixed appear to have been uncertainty as to any payment being ultimately due, and misunderstanding of the provisions of the Act. The former was removed by the provisions of the Repeal Act, but the latter continued to operate, especially in the Highlands and Islands, where many crofters were subsequently found to have believed that they were not entitled to receive the subsidy.

All claims received up to 3rd October were dealt with before the end of the year. The number of such claims not paid at 31st December was 2,266; this number included cases where a change of tenancy was involved, where the acreage was in

doubt, or where for other reasons payment could not be made immediately. Payment was actually made on 31st December (by means of Payable Orders, dated 3rd January 1922), of 43,004 claims, amounting in all to £3,883,126.

Payment in respect of claims lodged after 3rd October was under consideration at the close of the year.

(2) MINIMUM WAGES.

In the Board's Ninth Report an account was given of the work of the Agricultural Wages Committees in Scotland during 1920. The periods of office of the Committees as existing at the end of 1920 expired on 31st March 1921, and as indicated in the Report referred to the Board decided not to extend the period beyond that date. Arrangements were accordingly made for an election of new Committees, but difficulties in adjusting the scheme of election involved some delay in the arrangements made by the Board. As a result, although all the necessary steps were taken to complete the election and the majority of the new Committees were approved in April, it was not found possible to issue certificates of recognition in all cases before 12th May.

In three cases (Lothians and Peebles, Dumfries and Galloway, and Clyde and Forth Districts) it was found necessary for the Board to nominate Chairmen to the Committees. Mr George Morton, K.C., Sheriff of Dumfries and Galloway, was appointed by the Board Chairman of the Central Wages Committee in anticipation of the election of that body. Two lady members were also appointed-Mrs Anstruther Gray, Kilmany, Fife, and Miss N. Milnes, Director of the School of Social Studies, Edinburgh University. Owing, however, to the failure of the workmen's representatives in one Combination District to elect their representatives on the Central Committee, the Committee still remained in an incomplete state at 1st October, when in accordance with the provisions of the Corn Production Acts (Repeal) Act, 1921, the Wages Committees were dissolved.

This failure to constitute the Central Committee prior to the passing of the Repeal Act had the effect of precluding the possibility of any change being made by the new District Committees in the minimum rates of wages fixed by their predecessors, in view of the provisions of the Act of 1917 requiring the decisions of a District Committee to be subject to the review of the Central body. It should be noted, however, that the Act of 1917 did not provide any means for completing the personnel of the Central Committee in the event of failure to elect thereto the necessary number of employers' or workmen's representatives, and in the circumstances it was not found possible to deal with the situation thus created.

The work of the District Committees whose periods of office terminated on 31st March may be briefly summarised. In the early part of the year four Committees revised the minimum

rates previously fixed by them, and four revised the values placed on certain benefits or advantages. The new rates and values fixed are printed in Appendices Nos. 5 and 6. In all other Districts the minimum rates and values given in Appendices Nos. 4, 5, and 6 of the Board's Ninth Report remained in force until 30th September 1921.

Many complaints of underpayment were received by the District Committees, and fifteen cases were remitted to the Central Committee to be dealt with. In eight cases, settlements were arrived at, while the other seven were not proceeded with. No prosecutions were instituted.

CORN PRODUCTION ACTS (REPEAL) ACT, 1921.

LOCAL JOINT CONCILIATION COMMITTEES.

The Corn Production Acts (Repeal) Act, 1921, determined the periods of office of all Agricultural Wages Committees in Scotland as at 30th September. In Section 4 of the Act, however, it was provided as follows:

"Whereas it is expedient that local joint conciliation com"mittes representative of persons (whether owners or

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occupiers of agricultural land) employing workmen in agriculture and of such workmen should without delay "be formed by agreement throughout Great Britain for "the purpose of dealing with wages or hours or conditions of employment: Now, therefore, the Board of Agri"culture for Scotland as respects Scotland shall have power to take such steps as they think best calculated to secure the voluntary formation and continuance of such committees."

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In pursuance of these provisions and with a view to ascertaining the attitude of the representative Unions to the subject, the Board, shortly after the passing of the Act, offered their assistance to the National Farmers' Union of Scotland and to the Scottish Farm Servants' Union to such extent as might be desired in connection with the formation of local committees. Both Unions, however, replied that they did not desire any action to be taken by the Board.

AGRICULTURE ACT, 1920 (PART II.).

AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS (SCOTLAND) ACTS, 1908-1920. Part II. of the Agriculture Act, 1920, is entitled "The Amendment of the Agricultural Holdings Acts," and was designed to meet the complaints that had been made regarding the inadequate protection afforded by these Acts to agricultural tenants. It is construed as one with the Act of 1908, and together they are cited as the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1908 and 1920. Certain provisions of the Act of 1920 have been referred to in that part of this Report relating to the

Agricultural Committees. Other provisions of the Act laid upon the Board certain duties which are now briefly referred to. Under Section 15 (2) of the Agriculture Act, 1920, it was provided that the Board might by regulation, and having due regard to the current rates of interest, substitute such percentages or period as they might think fit for the percentages. and period mentioned in Sub-Section 3 of Section 3 of the Act of 1908, which provides that in certain cases a landlord may proceed to carry out certain improvements desired by a tenant and recover from the tenant as rent a sum not exceeding five per cent. per annum on the outlay incurred or not exceeding such annual sum, payable for a period of twenty-five years, as will repay that outlay in that period with interest at the rate of three per cent. per annum. The Agricultural Holdings Permanent Improvements Percentage and Period (Scotland) Regulation, 1921, a copy of which is at Appendix No. 7, was accordingly made by the Board on 16th April.

It was also provided by Section 15 (3) of the Act that the Board should make regulations specifying which of the improvements comprised in Part I. of the First Schedule to the Act of 1908, should be improvements which an Agricultural Committee was entitled to declare, after prescribed procedure, to be improvements comprised in Part II. of the First Schedule. Draft Regulations were made by the Board, but the repeal of this provision by the Corn Production Acts (Repeal) Act, 1921, rendered further proceedings unnecessary.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT, 1919.

During the year the Board continued their policy of advising and assisting local authorities in the provision of means for the effective administration of the Act, and it is satisfactory to report that generally their efforts were successful. Most of the more important local authorities in Scotland now possess a definite organisation for the enforcement of the requirements of the Act within their areas. The Board have reason for believing that this result is due in a measure to the conferences between the Board's Organising Officer and Committees of the Local Authorities, and to the appeals made direct by the Board.

At the instance of the County Council of Lanark, several conferences of the local authorities in the south and west of Scotland took place during the year, with a view to determining what action should be taken to secure the uniform and efficient administration of the Act by the several authorities in that

area.

As a result of these conferences the terms of a scheme

submitted by the Board have been accepted in principle, and the questions involved are now under the consideration of the local authorities concerned.

In order to arouse the interest of agricultural tenants in the problem of rat destruction, the Board issued at the beginning of the year a circular to farmers, calling attention to the serious

damage caused by the depredations of rats, and urging the necessity for the adoption of intensive measures for rat destruction. Supplies of the circulars were also forwarded to the Agricultural Committees for distribution.

A further circular advocating the use of wire netting for surrounding stacks during thrashing operations was issued later by the Board. It was suggested to local authorities that public notice of this method of destruction should be made in terms of Section 4 of the Act. The majority of the local authorities in the more important agricultural districts adopted the suggestion.

At the Highland and Agricultural Society's Show, held at Stirling in July, the Board's Organising Officer delivered short lectures daily on "Modern Methods of Rat Destruction." These lectures were well attended and considerable interest was displayed by farmers in the various methods of rat destruction explained.

The Board also issued a circular to local authorities responsible for the administration of the Act in seaports, suggesting action on the following lines to prevent the immigration of rats from vessels :

(i) the issuing of public notice in ports emphasising the statutory duties of the master of a vessel and the penalties for the non-observance thereof;

(ii) the authorising of a person in terms of Section 5 (4) of the Act to enter on and inspect vessels immediately on their arrival in port;

(iii) the making of suitable arrangements for dealing with cases of default;

(iv) that rat-guards should be attached to the mooringropes of vessels in port.

These suggestions have now been adopted in most of the larger ports concerned, including Aberdeen, Dundee, and Leith. The action to be taken by the local authority with regard to the Port of Glasgow was still under consideration at the end of the year.

The progress made throughout the central area of Scotland in the organisation of means for the enforcement of the Act encouraged the Board to invite the local authorities in the Forth and Clyde area to join in an intensive campaign during the late autumn before rats had returned from the fields to their winter quarters. A satisfactory response was forthcoming from most of the twenty-five authorities who were approached in the matter, and accordingly the campaign was held in the week ending 3rd December. The Board were also successful in securing the co-operation during this week of the Naval and Military Authorities and of the Railway Companies. Memoranda containing suggestions as to the organisation and conduct of the campaign were addressed by the Board to the various bodies