PEASANTRY — CAUSE OF DISLIKE TO TASK-WORK. 51 



could get only a glimpse of the country ; but in general 

 it seemed, like most in these parts, a succession of wet 

 heathy moors. The road winds picturesquely up the 

 river, which here and there expands into lakes ; and 

 after being drenched with rain, we again reached the 

 mansion of Ballynahinch. 



The peasantry of Connemara are very intelligent, and 

 make good workmen, when fairly treated and well 

 managed. I was assured by a Kildare man, who 

 manages a small property in this district, that he could 

 get more work done in Connemara for 8d. a-day, than 

 in his own county for Is. 2d. He pays wages every 

 night ; and the people, getting their money regularly, and 

 knowing what they are to get, work well for it. The 

 employers of labour generally, in the west of Ireland, 

 are not overburdened with ready money. They do not 

 pay their labourers with regularity, and accordingly the 

 people become disheartened, and their labour is then 

 indolently and very grudgingly given. I am assured by 

 a gentleman who occasionally had under his direction 

 the employment of several hundred men, that he at 

 first found great unwillingness on their part to task- 

 work ; but after some trial with them, they became very 

 fond of it. And what was the reason 1 Their former 

 employers had given them task-work ; but at the end of 

 the week, finding that the people were earning more 

 than the usual rate of wages, they lowered the contracts, 

 and thus discouraged the system altogether. As soon 

 as the men found that the rate for their work was 

 lowered in proportion as they the more exerted them- 

 selves, they naturally became disgusted with task-work. 



