11 



something to better their position, and we cannot wonder at 

 this when we think of the miserable poverty-stricken homes they 

 live in. But on the other hand had they practised habits of 

 temperance during the last 25 years, they might have had 

 millions of money at their command, and the strikes and their 

 consequences would never have taken place : good feelings would 

 have existed between employer and employed. In proof 

 of this I quote the following valuable testimony which I take from 

 the " Scientific American," "Hon. W. E. Dodge stated that his 

 firm employed 2,000 hands, and made it a rule that their people 

 should not use intoxicating drinks- They had no complaints of 

 hard times among them, they had been able to stand against the 

 depression, the men had accepted such wages as they were 

 able to pay, and many of them owned their own houses — and 

 that crime was practically unknown among them." 



I earnestly commend this example and its results to English 

 employers and men. The employers ought to lead the way, as a 

 rule they have taken but little interest in this movement. The 

 farmers generally speaking have treated all temperance efforts 

 with contempt. Such conduct is unworthy of so important a 

 class of the community. I know that some employers say that 

 they get more work done by giving the men beer in their work, 

 others say that they cannot get men to work without it, but these 

 are mistakes, as all experience shows. Firmness and deter- 

 mination and giving an equivalent is all that is needed. 



The practice of giving beer in the hay and harvest field 

 is a remnant of the old truck system which ther law has now 

 abolished. There can be no doubt that this practice has had a 

 very bad effect upon the men and their families, and it ought not 

 to be continued. I will not dwell at length upon this aspect of 

 the question. I have collected a considerable amount of evidence 

 during the last few years from employers of high position in 

 various parts of the country, all showing the undeniable ad- 

 vantages of not giving beer in farm work. Some of these valuable 

 testimonies will be found at the end of this pamphlet, which I would 

 earnestly commend to the serious attention of all classes. There 

 is everything to encourage both masters and men to make the 

 experiment. Prejudice, I fear, has kept many from adoptfng this 

 needful reform, but I feel sure that it must soon give way in 

 this case as it has done in the past. The prejudice of many 

 employers and men was very strong, when some advanced minds 

 began to plough with a pair of horses abreast some 60 or 70 years 

 ago. The same prejudice existed against winnowing machines, 

 haymaking machines, and in fact machinery generally, but time 

 has shown that it was mistaken prejudice, and I have no doubt 

 but that a little time and patience will show that the opinion given 

 by Mr. Clare Sewell Read, ex-M.P. for South Norfolk, "that a wet 

 groat is better than a dry shilling in hay or harvest work " was 

 also the result of mistaken prejudice or want of knowledge or 

 experience on the subject. The practice ought to be discontinued; 



