Fortunes for Farmers 



prevent the farmer looking on his men in the way 

 too prevalent in our cities — as his mortal enemies. 



It must be understood that I speak only of the 

 conditions in the locality mentioned. In some 

 parts of Southern England the daily wage is still 

 2S., with 6d. for strong boys, the balance of their 

 livelihood coming — when it does come — from 

 charity. The result is poverty, indolence, and loaf- 

 ing habits, with complete absence of independence, 

 reminiscent of the bad old days of a century ago. 



We have begun lately to take a larger view of 

 national affairs, to realize that it will not do to 

 have a considerable part of the population below 

 a subsistence line; that poor relief and workhouses 

 are an abomination. Somehow or other, every one 

 has to be maintained, and to keep criminals, drun- 

 kards, wastrels, and paupers in prisons, asylums, 

 and workhouses is vastly more expensive and 

 wasteful than it ought to be if a sane system were 

 adopted. We are indeed moving in that direction. 

 Old age pensions, accident and sickness insurance, 

 and labour bureaux are attempts towards a saner 

 life. 



However we may differ as to the method, most 

 of us agree that the idea is right — at least, those 

 who try to look ahead at all. " But that's all very 

 well," says a paper I was reading lately, " it pam- 

 pers the workmen, makes them too independent 



38 



