The Country Gentleman' s Magazine 



247 



CO- OPERA ri VE FARMING. 



AT an entertainment given by the Speaker 

 of the House of Commons to the 

 labourers on the Glynde Estate, the Speaker, 

 after congratulating those present on the ex- 

 cellence of the harvest in the district, and re- 

 gretting that it was not so bountiful in others, 

 said: — "It will be in your recollection that 

 about three years ago, when we assembled in 

 this tent, I called the attention of the young 

 boys in my employ to the necessity for those 

 who could not then read and write, and who 

 wished to remain in my service, to learn to 

 do so at once ; and I warned them that 

 unless they did so they would not continue 

 in my service. I am happy to find that that 

 warning has produced a good effect, and I 

 intend to adhere to the principle that all 

 boys who wish to be employed by me must 

 learn to read and write before they can re- 

 ceive wages. 



" Novv', I suppose that in these times, when 

 there is so much talk about the rates of 

 wages, you will hardly think I am doing my 

 duty if I do not say something in reference 

 to the agitation which is going on throughout 

 the kingdom. My opinion is we shall never 

 have a satisfactory settlement of the question 

 until the labourer receives, in some shape or 

 other, a share, though it may be a small one, 

 of the profit of the business in which he is 

 engaged. I refer not only to those employed 

 upon farms, but to those engaged in mining, 

 in manufactories, and in trades of all kinds. 

 But, you will say, how is the labourer to de- 

 rive any share of the profits of farming when 

 he has no capital ? Well, it is quite true that 

 you have no capital beyond your labour, but 

 what is capital ? Capital is nothing more 

 nor less than labour husbanded. Now, if 

 you could save any money, however small 

 the amount, and could invest it in carrying on 

 a farm, I think, according to the sum so in- 

 vested, you would be entitled to a share in 

 the profits of that farm. I will give you a 



practical illustration of what I mean. Some 

 of you, I dare say, are fortunate enough to 

 have a few pounds in the savings' bank, and 

 I believe the savings' bank limits the interest 

 paid on the investments to 2/4 per cent. 



" Now, I will make a proposition to you, 

 and to all in my employ. If you have got 

 ;2^5, we will say, in the savings' bank, and you 

 would like to lend that to my farming busi- 

 ness, I will engage to give you, as the savings 

 bank does, 2 Yz per cent, for the money. And 

 I will do more than that. I will, supposing 

 the profits of the farm amount to more than 

 2^ per cent, upon the money I have inves- 

 ted, I will give you rateably precisely the 

 same interest upon the capital you lend me. 

 That is to say, supposing I get 10 per cent, 

 as profit on the capital I have invested on 

 the farm, you shall have 10 per cent on your 

 £,$ instead of 2^. So you see you will be 

 in this position — that you will never get less 

 than the 2^ per cent, you receive at present, 

 and if the farm yields more you will have the 

 benefit of it. Some will probably say, " How 

 am I to get the ^5 ? " AVell, we know it does 

 not rain ;£% notes, but I will suggest to 

 those who have not that amount in hand that 

 they should lay by so much a-week. The 

 rate of pay to the boys is from 3s. 6d. to 4s. 

 per week, and the wages increase according 

 to the ability to work. The carters, shepherds, 

 &c., for instance, receive about 15 s. per 

 week, and out of this it seems to me it is by 

 no means impossible that some may save 2s. 

 a-week ; and if you pay me that sum I will 

 engage, at the end of the year, to pay you 

 the ;^5, if you desire it, plus 2% per cent., 

 or whatever higher rate of interest arises from 

 the year's farming operations. I am quite 

 sure of this, that we shall never come to a 

 satisfactory settlement of the relations be- 

 tween employer and employed until the 

 latter, according to the amount of labour and 

 capital he has invested, has an interest in the 



