SHORTCOMINGS OF OUR AGRICULTURE. \i 



that there had been repressive anti-sociaUst legislation 

 accompanying it. President Bodicker, at the head of the 

 Insurance Department — who had really liberal views — 

 did his best to conciliate the Socialists. But his superior, 

 Minister von Botticher, stood obstructively in the way. 

 (Bodicker was by birth a Hanoverian and not a martinet ; 

 Botticher was a Prussian and a martinet to the core.) In 

 the course of my studies of the effects of those measures I 

 was brought into contact with a good many representative 

 Labour men and Socialist deputies from all parts. And I 

 found them strongly anti-Government. They admitted 

 that the new measures gave them something ; but they 

 contended that they took away more. They were up in 

 arms against the orthopaedic treatment, which they called 

 " torture " — the object of which was to restore disabled 

 limbs to useful pliancy and strength, so as to get the 

 men off the pensions list. And, generall}^ they held that 

 the employers got the best of the Government bargain 

 and abused their privileges. They also seriously resented 

 the all but suppression of their " free " Friendly Societies. 

 What finally reconciled public opinion to these " large- 

 hearted " measures, as they are called, w^as the employment 

 of the enormous sums collected, not as they would have 

 been used among ourselves, for the " appreciation of Con- 

 sols," but for purposes socially and economically benefiting 

 the working classes, more particularly for housing purposes. 

 Against such opposition the Emperor must have his 

 " Swiss Guard," such as only the rural population, officered 

 by the junkers, could supply. While the " Bund der 

 Landwirthe " was forming, breathing forth " threatenings 

 and slaughter " against the Government — though distinctly 

 not against the Emperor's person— the Emperor went down 

 to the " Agricultural Society of Germany," a very powerful 

 body with great political influence, to announce that it 

 was his " firm will " {das ist mein Wille) that Germany should 

 be made absolutely independerd of foreign supply of food- 

 stufts. Nothing could have been more after the mind and 

 heart of the junkers. They received the message with 

 enthusiastic acclamations. And being pitched in the 



