96 BELGIUM - MISCELLANEOUS 



§ I. Forms assumed by rural exodus in Belgium. 



The establishment of large industries led in the nineteenth century, 

 especially in Belgium, owing to the facilities for transport, to a concentra- 

 tion of the population in towns or in the vicinity of workshops. Very 

 often, however, this concentration of workmen only lasts during the hours 

 in which which they have to work and most of them afterwards return to 

 rest in their homes in the country which they have not quitted. But it 

 is none the less true that in this way a certain number of the necessary 

 labourers are lost to agriculture. 



M. Mahaim distinguishes four forms that rural exodus assumes : (i) 



ist., Real concentration in towns, which is a form of permanent emigra- 

 tion : the peasant comes to settle in the town. 



2nd., Seasonal emigration, especially of peasants, who leave their vill- 

 ages to pass one or more seasons in other districts, especially agricultural 

 districts, and return to pass the winter at home. Thus, the Flemings 

 of Campine and Flanders engage themselves every year for agricultural 

 work in Hesbaye and France (2). 



3'^'^'., Weekly emigration of workmen who leave their homes from 

 Monday to Saturday and, though they themselves work in factories, leave 

 their families in the country. 



4'h.. What has been called daily emigration, by a slight extension of 

 the sense of the word emigration, and consists in the daily journey from the 

 person's dwelling place to the place where he works. 



The real drift to the towns is less marked in Belgium than in other 

 countries. Still it must be owned that here also the attraction of the 

 cities is felt and is no novelty. Besides, it is necessary that new blood should 

 be regularly brought to the town from the country, otherwise the town 

 populations would become anemic. And then, in the districts of high birth- 

 rate, for example, Ardenne, those, who, owing to the large number of 

 members in their family, cannot be employed in agricultural work, 

 eagerly seek for situations as domestic servants and inferior employees 

 in the Government Departments, in the capital and large towns. It must 

 be noted, however, that very often the young people of Ardenne return to 

 their country to marry, or at least the old return to pass their old age there. 



To put difficulties in the way of this immigration would certainly not 

 be serving the interests of the people, as is stated in one of the resolutions 

 of the last International Congress of Agriculture. On the contrary, this mode 

 of regeneration must be encouraged, but on condition of not endangering 

 its continuance. 



The emigration of the country population must in no case assume 

 such proportions as to cause a diminution of the agricultural population 



(i) Rapport sur ks migrations interieures. (General Meeting of the International Asso- 

 ciation for the Fight against Unemployment. Ghent, 1913) p. 2. 



(2) Edmond Romse : U Emi':!.ration saisonniere beige. Ghent, Het Volk, 1913. 



