LABOUR. 295 



with its valued lopui dc tcrrc going with it — in I'lancc, in 

 the Low Countries, in Austria, in (iermany. In Lusatia, 

 on my whilom property, every labourer that I employed 

 had his own little house. /Vnd he was none the worse a 

 labourer for that, rather a better. For — leaving questions 

 of strife and malice prepense out of consideration, for which 

 there should be no room — employment on his own land 

 naturally makes the labourer more careful in his work, 

 more disposed to reflect, more conscious of his responsibility. 

 He knows better what things should be and instinctively 

 applies the care which he bestows upon his own cultivation 

 on that executed for his employer. It also makes him a 

 more capable labourer. For he learns more different things 

 than he does in his paid employment — at any rate among 

 ourselves. Writing about small holders, Mr. T. Wibberley, 

 who has a good deal of experience, says that he would at 

 any time rather plant the son of a small holder upon a new 

 small holding than the son of a labourer, because he is 

 more of an all-round man and therefore better fitted for 

 his new task. The labourer's son has been trained to do 

 " father's job," and has mastered that — well or indifferently, 

 as the case may be — and nothing more. Occupation of 

 a garden and a little land also makes a more cheerful, con- 

 tented man, willing to give and take and be a good neighbour. 

 Flis temper is in better tune, because he has something 

 to occupy his thoughts and his hopes, something to yield 

 him a direct reward, something to interest him. 



Our man is a labourer still. He comes to his employer 

 regularly for work. But he comes as a free man. The em- 

 ployer fixes the hours of work and assigns to every one his 

 task. The man is not likely to quarrel with his necessary 

 bread and butter. However, he has now a voice in the 

 matter as well. There will be occasions when he will want 

 to stay away. On the other hand, when there is pressure 

 of work, he will be willing to give freely of his extra time. 

 Freedom and an approach to equality have banished the 

 sense of distance. There is less patronising and more 

 neighbourly feeling. Under such circumstances rural life 

 assumes a far more cheerful colouring. The foundation 



