Housing and Education of Agricultural Labourers 



93 



care about her learning anything. He had 

 no objection to further knowledge, so that it 

 did not interfere with more essential things ; 

 but he objected to her learning more if it 

 would be to the detriment of essential things 

 like these. He would have a similar course 

 for the husband. 



THE SOCIAL STATUS OF THE LABOURER. 



He thought there was much false sympathy 

 expressed for the labourer, and for his ina- 

 bility to raise himself in the social scale. The 

 labourer could better himself if he would 

 make the necessary sacrifices. Of course he 

 could not without self-restraint and rigid 

 economy, any more than any one else. It 

 was said, " What can a man do with 12s. a- 

 week and four children?" But a man was 

 not always burdened with four children, and 

 he was not expected to live on 12s. a-week. 

 There was a period when he had no wife 

 and no child ; and a full-grown man 

 might always earn more than 12s. a-week if 

 he set himself to earn more. If it were 

 allowed that a labourer with a family 

 could live on the ordinary rate of wages 

 (and that must be allowed, because so 

 many did it without any evidence of pinch- 

 ing, and with apparent comfort), it was 



evident that, without such hindrance, he 

 could save something. It might be considered 

 that twenty-five years of age was young 

 enough for any man of prudence to marry. 

 Then certainly for seven years previously a 

 man might save 2s. a-week out of his wages. 

 That was ^5, 4s. a year, and in seven years 

 it was ^z^t 8s., to which had to be added 

 compound interest in the savings' bank> 

 bringing it up to about ^50. The 

 woman might have put by half as much as the 

 man, so that they would start with ;^75, from 

 which ;^i5 must be deducted for furniture. 

 This would leave ^^60. Now, supposing 

 from the time of their marriage nothing was 

 added to this, yet, untouched, it would add 

 to itself by way of interest. In about fifteen 

 years it would have reached ;^i2o, so that 

 by the time a man is forty years old he might 

 have that sum. At sixty it would be ^250, 

 and that would buy the man a good annuity 

 for the remainder of his life. Of course all 

 this required self-denial and care, but these 

 were necessary in any department of fife. 

 There was no reason why the labourer should 

 not advance himself; and when he did not 

 raise himself it was not from want of power, 

 but want of will. When he degraded himself 

 it was through abuse of his opportunities. 



THE FARM SERVANTS IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND. 



HAVING in a previous article (see 

 vol viii., page 343), on this subject, 

 alluded to the condition and prospects 

 of farm-servants in the northern coun- 

 ties of Scotland, from the first of the present 

 century till about i860, we purpose now to 

 deal with the last ten or twelve years, during 

 which there has been little change in the 

 status and usage of the agricultural labourer. 

 The system of hiring has not been uniform, 

 nor has there been anything approaching a 

 universal mode of payment. For many 

 years the majority of the servants have 

 been engaged in the feeing markets; but 



latterly, a considerable, and happily a growing 

 number have been hired privately, either by 

 personal interview or by means of registration 

 offices. 



By estabhshing institutions of this kind 

 over the country, many farmers and others 

 have been taking steps to supersede the time- 

 honoured feeing markets. To abolish these 

 half-yearly assemblies, however, a consider- 

 able length of time, and more uniformity of 

 action, will be required. Without attempting 

 a defence of the feeing market, we hope to 

 shew that this is not the most essential re- 

 form for the benefit of the farm-servant. 



