DECEMBER 409 



Mr. Philip Bagenal, the Local Government Board inspector for 

 these counties, has very kindly sent me his ' Report on Pauperism 

 and Distress for 1898,' in which he points out that the Census 

 returns show that between the years 1871 and 1891 one-tenth of 

 the agricultural labourers of Norfolk had left the land ; adding : 

 'There is too much reason to believe that since 1891 the rate of 

 decrease has been accelerated.' This rate, by the way, is slightly 

 higher in Suffolk than in Norfolk. 



Among the reasons given by Mr. Bagenal for this emigration 

 are : the inability of farmers to employ as many labourers as 

 formerly ; the conversion of arable land into pasture ; and the 

 desire of the young men to lead a less monotonous life. The 

 results he sums up in very few words : ' A constant drain of the 

 best class of wage earners is thus going on. The old and infirm 

 are left, and these necessarily come on the rates.' 



What is to be the end of it ? Mr. Bagenal says in his report 

 that we appear to have touched bottom in the matter of the con- 

 version of arable into pasture. But if the exodus is to continue, 

 I can see no other way of meeting it than by the multiplication 

 of machines and the laying down of grass, which absorbs less 

 labour than ploughland. Of course, however, this matter of the 

 inconvenience ensuing to those employed in agricultural pursuits 

 is but one side of the question, which involves other and even 

 greater interests of a national character, and affecting the well- 

 being of the whole race. ' The inhabitants of the village ceased,' 

 is a sad record for any generation to write down, but the results 

 may prove still sadder to its descendants. 1 



While waiting in Norwich for my train I took a walk, to the 

 cattle market. The sight of all those poor beasts crowded in 

 their pens brought the memory of my ten departed Irish bullocks 

 back to my mind with a force which was quite painful. Indeed, in 

 one or two lots I could almost imagine that I saw the brutes 

 before me gaunt, slab-sided, and hungry-eyed. I think that 



1 For a fuller discussion of this question see Appendix I. 



