158 THE AGRICULTURAL CLUB. 



Many of the observations made in the course of discussion 

 at the Club were illuminating of the mental attitude of the 

 speakers. I quote a few : 



By Agricultural Labourers. 



" Thousands of labourers are saying they have no part 

 or lot in the country." 



" There was an old saying that ' strong in the arm and 

 thick in the head ' suited the employer best. There had 

 been no encouragement for the labourer to improve himself, 

 morally or intellectually, in the past." 



" We have to consider is it in the best interests of the 

 nation to have a healthy, virile population, permanently 

 established on the soil, and, if so, to try and discover the best 

 means to secure that end." 



" I suppose we shall all agree that amongst the many and 

 divergent causes which brought about rural depopulation a 

 primary cause was the deprivation of the people of their 

 hold upon the land, especially under the Enclosure Acts." 



" The enclosing of the commons was one of the first 

 things which began the destruction of the village." 



" Why do you find so many strong, healthy people in the 

 villages ? It was purely a question of the survival of the 

 fittest. Whole families of the weaker ones died out. I 

 have seen many put in the grave years before they should 

 have been ; mothers who, for the sake of their children, 

 have denied themselves of the food and clothes they so 

 sorely needed, and have died in consequence. If the true 

 epitaph had been put on the gravestone, it would have 

 read ' Starved herself that her children might live.' ' 



" Arch's movement came too soon, as the labourers in 1872 

 were a different class than they were to-day. Although he, 

 to some extent, failed, he prepared the soil for better days. 

 The labourers then felt there was collusion between the 

 landlords and the farmers to prevent the spirit of inde- 

 pendence growing. The clergy and nonconformist parsons 

 took sides against the labourers, and this was one of the 

 causes of the apathy and hostile spirit manifested towards 

 religion to-day." 



