THE EDUCATIONALIST. 77 



money in the farmer's pocket and did not realise that if he 

 worked well he was reducing the cost of production. The 

 future of Agriculture depended on the efficiency of the 

 workers." 



In his paper on " The Decline of Village Life Cause and 

 Remedy," Mr. Haman Porter put the worker's point of view 

 in regard to education in an interesting way as follows : 



One of the first things in the reconstruction of village life, 

 in my opinion, is education. And I think the question may 

 well be asked, why educate ? how ? and what kind of education 

 must it be ? Perhaps no other class in England left quite 

 alone, with only Nature to bargain with, could better find for 

 themselves than the agricultural labourer. 



Let us realise that the conviction is deeply rooted that our 

 labour has been used as a commodity, and that there may 

 be a tendency to turn it into a monopoly. Sometimes we are 

 amused, sometimes offended and hurt, by the way some people 

 would teach us. 



Living in close contact with Nature in all her moods, the 

 thing which may appeal to the townsman has no attraction 

 for us. Picture palaces and the like may be welcome, but not 

 essential. We look upon all these like the covering we put on 

 the sheep that is shorn early, it's handy, but wool is best 

 for the sheep. We quite realise the truth of the saying, " That 

 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like the flower of the 

 field." 



I say these things that it may be easier to find what kind of 

 an education is needed. I would like to suggest a few things 

 which, perhaps, might help in the education and the building 

 up of the village. 



First, it must be understood that the agricultural labourer 

 is religious, and this must be taken into account. He has a 

 soul longing for freedom. 



Open the doors of the treasure houses of the earth to us (I 

 don't mean money !). Let us feel that we are taking part in the 

 greatest industry in the country. Make it possible for us to 

 study every science which will help in that industry. Where 

 an inventive mind is found give it room, don't cramp it. Let 

 not the question of birth stand in the way. Don't let us look 

 on these things with a mean sordidness that will destroy, but 

 let us seek, and if we do we shall certainly find new literature 

 and art in the tilling of the soil. 



I have thought sometimes that in these days of honours, it 

 would be a good send-off for the reconstruction of village life 



