THE RURAL PROBLEM. 23 



with a team. As he gets older he is trusted to work horses himscil. 

 Perhaps, later, he may change his employment and become an 

 attendant on cattle, or he may in many counties become an ordinary 

 day-man or " dataller." After the age of twenty-five a few men 

 who have gained experience obtain positions as shepherds, head- 

 stockmen, or head-carters. But on farms up to 200 acres in size 

 these positions do not carry much responsibility, and consequently 

 little advance in social position. A few other labourers may advance 

 to the position of farm foreman or bailiff. The number of these 

 positions open to men was increasing from 1851 to 1901, but has 

 since slightly declined. Li 1851 the number was 10,561 ; in 1901, 

 22,623 ; and in 1911, 22,141. The increase in number of these 

 positions has been primarily due to the process of " laying farm 

 to farm " by which separate farms, often lying at a distance apart, 

 are occupied hj one farmer who needs a foreman on the farm distant 

 from his residence ; and to the increase in smaller residential estates, 

 the owners of which employ a bailiff to manage the land connected 

 with the residence. The decline since 1901 may be due to the 

 return of some farms to separate occupation. This development 

 has undoubtedly created openings for some intelligent labourers, 

 but the proportion of foremen and bailifPs to total employees is 

 very small, and some of the positions are held by men who have been 

 farmers, or their sons. There is no other industry approaching 

 agriculture in importance which opens for its employees so few 

 positions of responsibility and trust.* But apart from the possibility 

 of rising from the position of mere labourer to that of one of control, 

 or delegated control, there has been very little attempt consciously 

 to evoke or foster the application of skill or intelligence to the 

 work in hand. In almost every district there has been a tendency 

 to pay standard rates to men of a given class, without reference 

 to their particular value. On other grounds there is much to be 

 said for the standard rate, but it certainly does not give the keen 

 and enthusiastic worker encouragement to develop his knowledge 

 and skill, and in an industry which holds out few possibilities of 

 movement from one class to another this is a great defect. In 

 some respects the possibilities of obtaining special rates or special 

 work have been reduced since 1880. In particular, the demand 

 for highly skilled hedgers, drainers, and thatchers who were once 

 recruited from the class of day-men has largely disappeared, and 

 as the old men retired few young men learned the work. This 

 movement has more than counterbalanced the increase in the 

 number of positions as bailiff or foreman open to labourers. 



* The preponderance of " ordinary labourers" is shown by the Census classifi- 

 cation of males engaged in agriculture (England and Wales, 19ll) : — 



Farmers and Graziers 208,761 



i^ons and relatives 97,t;8i> 



Farm Bailiffs and Foremen 



Shepherds 



Cattlemen ... 



Horsemen 



22,141 

 20,t^38 

 C9,U94 

 128,122 



Not otherwise dittinguished, or " ordinary labourers " ... 425,063 



