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Tlic Country Gaitlcmans 3Ia^ 



THE CONDI no X OF THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



THE social condition of the agricultural 

 labourer formed the subject of a length- 

 ened discussion at the recent meetings of the 

 British Association. Papers were read by the 

 Rev. Canon Girdlestone, and Mr Corrance, 

 M.P., which called up Mr Read, M.P., Dr 

 Crisp, Dr Hodson, the Rev. W. L. Brereton, 

 Sir Willoughby Jones, Professor Leone Levi, 

 Sir John Bowring, and other speakers. 



Canon Girdlestone's statements related 

 chiefly to the condition of agricultural labour- 

 ers in the west of England, and were merely 

 a repetition of what he has said of late on the 

 same subject, at different times. He insisted 

 on the lowness of the wages which he alleged 

 are paid in Devonshire, and the insufficiency 

 of the food of the labouring classes. Heblamed 

 the landed proprietors and the farmers of 

 that part of the country for this state of 

 matters, asserting that, as a body, they were 

 of the old school, and resisted all progress. 

 What the agricultural labourer really requires, 

 he said, is independence. By all accounts, 

 agricultural labourers in Devonshire get as 

 much as they are worth, and if the Re^-. 

 gentleman wishes to secure their independence, 

 he should strive to have them so trained that 

 their labour will be v/orth more money than 

 it is at present. As Mr Read very justly 

 remarked, " let them do more work and they 

 will receive more wages." As to their indepen- 

 dence, are they not free to go where they 

 choose to better themselves, if they have a 

 mind to do so ? They are not tethered to 

 Halberton, or any other part of Devonshire. 

 England is open to them, and if they are not 

 satisfied with the old country, the colonies 

 or the United States will receive them with 

 open arms. Are they less independent than 

 the Irish, who swarm all over the world, 

 wherever work and wages are going. But we 

 suspect the truth is, that Devonshire labourers 

 prefer easy work, although it should give 

 them only "tea-kettle broth," to good living. 



which requires hard work to earn it. A\'e 

 certainly admire the Rev. Canon's persevering 

 philanthropy, but we question the soundness, 

 of his philosophy. 



The measures proposed by Canon Girdle- 

 stone to improve the condition of agricultural 

 labourers, and to secure their "indepen- 

 dence " are as follows : — Good wages ; suffi- 

 cient cottage accommodation ; greater facilities 

 for education ; the abolition of all " mops " 

 and hiring fairs ; agricultural labourers' 

 unions of a strictly protective character ; and 

 sj^ecial legislation in their favour. 



Mr Corrance gave a history of agricultural 

 labour, and shewed that there had been a 

 great amount of special legislation in their 

 favour without producing much good effect 

 "Laws of settlement have not cured vagrancy; 

 poor laws have not corrected the improvidence 

 of the poor ; model prisons and milder codes 

 have not subdued the devil's regiment of the 

 line. Self-education has produced trades' 

 unions. Free labour does not follow free 

 trade. Emigration neither raises up a kindred 

 people nor contents those Avho stay. The 

 enforcement of better sanitary laws produces 

 unforeseen hardship upon the poorer class." 



Mr Corrance advocated well-conducted 

 friendly and medical societies, the Post 

 Office Savings Bank, and co-operative asso- 

 ciations, including building societies, as 

 being well adapted to improve the social 

 condition of the labourer, by leading to the 

 formation of more provident habits, the want 

 of which is too often the great source of evil 

 in relation to the labouring classes. 



Sir AVilloughby Jones, in defending Norfolk 

 from the charges made by Canon Girdle- 

 stone, stated that he had just paid his harvest 

 wages, which amounted to jCl ""' cash for 

 each man, which was earned in fourteen days, 

 and added 3 s. per week to the ordinary 

 earnings of 13s. per week, besides overtime 

 and task work being paid at the rate of 15s. 



