ch appeared to make it
opportune, the spirit in which it was responded to by those who were
invited to join, and the degree of public approval which had been
accorded to our action. We were able to claim for the Committee that it
was thoroughly representative of those agricultural and industrial
interests, North and South, with which the Report was concerned.

There were two special features in the brief history of this unique
coming together of Irishmen which will strike any man familiar with the
conditions of Irish public life. The first was the way in which the
business element, consisting of men already deeply engaged in their
various callings--and, indeed, selected for that very reason--devoted
time and labour to the service of their country. Still more significant
was the fact that the political element on the Committee should have
come to an absolutely unanimous agreement upon a policy which, though
not intended to influence the trend of politics, was yet bound to have
far-reaching consequences upon the political thought of the country, and
upon the positions of parties and leaders. It was thought only fair to
the Nationalist members of the Committee that every precaution should be
taken to prevent their being placed in a false position. 'To avoid any
possible misconception,' the covering letter ran, 'as to the attitude of
those members of the Committee who are not supporters of the present
Government, it is right here to state that, while under existing
political conditions they agreed in recommending a certain course to the
Government, they wish it to be understood that their political
principles remain unaltered, and that, were it immediately possible,
they would prefer that the suggested reforms should be preceded by the
constitutional changes of which they are the well-known advocates.'

It is interesting to note that the Committee claimed favourable
consideration for their proposals on the ground that they sought to act
as 'a channel of communication between the Irish Government and Irish
public opinion.' Little interest, they pointed out, had been hitherto
aroused in those economic problems for which the Report suggested some
solution. They expressed the hope that their action would do something
to remedy this defect, especially in view of the importance which
foreign Governments had found it necessary to attach to public opinion
in working out their various systems of State aid to agriculture and
industr