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The Country Gcntlcnmii s Magazine 



and manufactures has created an exceptional 

 demand for hands, that such periods of sud- 

 denly enhanced prosperity seldom go on long 

 without a check, and that it is by no means 

 proved that when that check occurs — and 

 some people think it is not far off even now 

 — the demand for labour may not subside to 

 very nearly its former level. When I notice 

 the change since 1868, I am compelled to 

 ask what there is to prevent the ebb from 

 succeeding to the flow — what should hinder 

 the pendulum from swinging back again to 

 its old position. Of course I may be wrong 

 — I am suggesting doubts rather than assert- 

 ing propositions of which I feel certain ; but 

 I shall not easily believe in that social and 

 economical revolution which the press is so 

 busy with until I see one of two things — 

 either that the number of yearly emigrants 

 from these islands equals, or approaches, the 

 natural yearly increase of population, or that 

 the working class here use the same means 

 as the P'rench peasantry habitually do to 

 avoid being burdened with more mouths than 

 they can find food for. The last of these 

 two conditions is so utterly improbable, con- 

 sidering the ideas and feeUngs of our people, 

 that I may safely put it aside ; and as to the 

 first, I am not aware that there has been 

 any perceptible decrease as yet in the rate at 

 which our population grows. Nobody can feel 

 unkindly towards those poor fellows who are 

 only doing the best they know to better them- 

 selves ; but I suspect that in the majority of cases 

 they have miscalculated their strength, and 

 will not do themselves much good. In these 

 parts our troubles of that kind are fewer, 

 though we may have had our share. For 

 many years past the competition of the towns 

 has raised wages to a higher level here than 

 in the south ; the condition of the labourer is 

 better to begin with, and though there may 

 be some temporary difficulty to contend with, 

 I don't think the farmers in Lancashire need 

 fear any permanent scarcity of hands. It is 

 a question to a great extent of using mechani- 

 cal means. AVe are only beginning, compara- 

 tively speaking, to do that in farming, and it 

 is impossible to foretell what economics and 

 what improvements may be possible in that 



direction. Meanwhile, it is undoubtedly de- 

 sirable to do what we reasonably can to keep 

 our labourers with us. I would never dis- 

 courage any young fellow from emigrating if 

 his mind was really set upon it, and if he had 

 an idea of what was before him — indeed, I 

 have very often helped men to go ; but unless 

 English labourers are a good deal stupider 

 than I take them to be, they will find out that 

 emigration is a lottery. 



CO-OPERATIVE FARMING: 

 SIR BALDWIN LEIGHTON's SYSTEM. 



Well, what are we to do with them at 

 home ? One of the favourite schemes of the 

 day is to turn them into farmers ; or rather 

 into fractions of a farmer, by adopting what 

 is called the plan of co-operative association, 

 and giving the soil to be cultivated by the 

 actual workers upon it. Now I am not at all 

 a disbeliever in the co-operative principle 

 within certain limits. It is clear that associa- 

 tions of men individually poor will be at a 

 disadvantage in two cases — one where a large 

 command of capital is required, and where 

 they may have to lie out of their money for 

 a long while ; the other, where risks are to be 

 run, where immediate decisions must be 

 taken, and where, therefore, it is necessary 

 that the firms directing operations should not 

 act with that entire freedom which a man can 

 hardly feel when he is dealing with the pro- 

 perty of other people. Well, in the case of farm- 

 ino;, it seems to me that the first of these diffi- 

 culties is, if not fatal, yet very serious indeed. 

 There can be no tolerable farming without 

 capital; a body of labourers clearly have not got 

 capital of their own, and, as they have no 

 available security to offer, I don't see where 

 they are to get it. I am aware that instances 

 have occurred where benevolent landowners 

 have themselves advanced the sum required 

 — but that is charity, and not business. In 

 the first place, it is clear that landowners, as 

 a body, would not be able to take that 

 course. In the next place, even if they had 

 the money, it would be a very speculative 

 investment; and besides that, farming with 

 capital of which every shilling is borrowed is 

 not, for the occupier, a safe and satisfactory 



