The Country Gentleman' s Magazine 



THE DUKE OF ST ALBANS ON THE AGRICULTURAL 



LABOURER. 



AT a meeting of the Nottingham Chamber 

 of Agriculture lately, the Duke of 

 St Albans, who occupied the chair, made the 

 following excellent remarks in introducing the 

 subject of the Agricultural Labourer. His 

 Grace said : — I approach this subject with the 

 very greatest difficulty. I have no practical 

 experience of the subject, and I know many 

 whose experience I value disapprove of its 

 discussion. I can assure you my mind has 

 oscillated since my name has been on your 

 paper between two endeavours — first, to back 

 out of a task, for which I feel myself so unfit, 

 without discourtesy to you ; and, secondly, 

 to ascertain the opinion of those of my 

 friends who could possibly give me any light 

 on the subject. For my part, I see no harm 

 in the Chamber looking this question boldly 

 in the face, for I believe it forms matter of 

 conversation in every farmer's house and la- 

 bourer's cottage in the country — at a time, 

 too, when we can discuss it as a possible 

 difficulty, not, most happily, in the heat of 

 discord and strife. It was difficult to suppose 

 that when the other trades had adopted the 

 principles of combination in their manual 

 branches, that that very large class en- 

 gaged in the cultivation of the soil would 

 fail for any length of time from forming 

 unions by which they believed the working- 

 classes generally had benefited their position. 

 Yet the agricultural world seem to me, from 

 the accounts I read in the papers, to consider 

 itself, when the Warwickshire strike took 

 place, launched into an unexpected crisis. I 

 would not seem to undervalue the present 

 agitation on the question of farm labour. It 

 is certainly the most important one for every 

 one in this room which has arisen in our time. 

 For the future agricultural unions and possi- 

 ble strikes for an increaseof wages must form 

 part of a farmer's calculations. The Central 

 Chamber of Agriculture, on the motion of Mr 



Read, has acknowledged the right of the men 

 to combine for their benefit, and I think no 

 one now will advocate the mistaken policy of 

 attempting to stamp out these unions by indi- 

 vidual acts of tyranny against their members. 

 I have found, in conversation with many 

 eminent agricultupsts, that they accept the 

 unions as a happy alternative from smoulder- 

 ing discontent. It must depend much into 

 what hands the unions fall. If the public- 

 house is to be their centre, and their object 

 lip-work, and more time and money to spend 

 there, most evil results will accrue to the agri- 

 cultural interests. If, on the other hand, the 

 agricultural labouring class is to gain a sense 

 of greater responsibility, we shall have no rea- 

 son to regret their introduction. Well, how 

 must the question of farm labour be met ? 

 First, by the good sense of the employers and 

 the moderation of the employed. This has so 

 far kept agricultural strikes outside this county, 

 and I cannot congratulate you too much on 

 the fact. Second, landowners and tenants 

 must not wince from looking into the con- 

 dition of their labourers, not by the stand- 

 ard of twenty years ago, but by the advan- 

 tages which other trades offer the labourer. 

 The condition of the agricultural labourer has 

 been described as somewhat worse than a 

 helot of antient Greece, a Cuban slave, or a 

 Russian serf; no doubt the opposite case has 

 also been exaggerated. But let him before he 

 turns and rends the hand which has supported 

 him all this time, at the bidding of newfound 

 friends, whose sincerity he has still to prove, 

 examine his present condition. Let him 

 inquire whether he has been really cheated 

 of his fair wages through all these years, 

 before he lends a too willing ear to agitators 

 and exaggerators jealous of all those con- 

 nected with land. I mean, whether he has 

 justly been paid for the work he has done for 

 the farmer. For this purpose let him turn 



