g8 BELGIUM - MISCELLANEOUS 



of laws our Flemings are accustomed to observe strictly, has often a sad 

 effect on the morahty of our labourers. They, above all the young, suffer 

 thereby ; besides, the stoppages made from their earnings and the 

 temptations of the city often end by corrupting them before their 

 return " (i). 



The daily and weekly migrations are of by far the greatest importance 

 in Belgium. " On an averages, " ays M. Mahaim (2), " out of 495,000 per- 

 sons, travelling daily on the State Railways, 214,531 travelled at reduced 

 rates. This is 43 % of the total number of travellers. From 5,944,794 

 in 1908 the number of weekly season tickets increased in 1911 to 7,111,327, 

 of which 5,735,440 were issued for one forward and return journey per day, 

 either for six or seven days in the week, and 1,343,046 for one 

 forward and return journey per week. An examination of the records and 

 the partial returns have led M. jNfahaim to the conclusion that, in 1911, 

 350,000 workmen engaged in private factories had season tickets. This 

 is about one fifth or a quarter of the working population " (3). 



The same author has prepared a special return of the occupations of the 

 season ticket holders for two months of 1906 ; he concludes that : 



10 % were miners. 



30 % were general factory hands. 



15 % were workmen engaged on buildings. 



16 % were navvies and labourers. 

 19 % were other workmen. 



This means, he says that most of our migratory labour is unskilled. This 

 is further shown by the geographical distribution of the season tickets 

 from which we see that most are issued in the poor agricultural districts of 

 the two Flanders, Campine and vSouth Brabant, whence there are large 

 numbers of labourers to be obtained. (4) 



The season tickets for daily journeys especially deprive agriculture 

 of the labourers it might have need of at certain moments. How is it 

 then that, while there is generally a dearth of agricultural labourers, rural 

 workmen are every morning or evening leaving their homes in the village 

 for the workshops of the large centres and only return to their families for 

 a Jew hours a day at most, for their well earned rest ? 



And in this connection let no one tell us of the attractions of the towns ; 

 many weekly ticket holders barely know the locality in which they work 

 and their f amihes never set foot there. 



Why then do they leave the land ? 



(1) RONSE, op. Cit., p. 205. 



(2) Report quoted, page 5. 



(3) » » » 6. 



(4) » » » 7. 



