AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONS 311 



result that the interest on the mortgage was now more than 

 the rent of the land. 1 



They were thus worse off than the tenant farmer, for they 

 paid a higher rent in the shape of interest ; moreover, they 

 could not leave their land, for it could only be sold at a ruinous 

 loss. The 'statesmen ' of Cumberland were weighed down by 

 the same burdens and their disappearance furthered ; for 

 instance, in the parish of Abbey Quarter, between 1780 and 

 1812 their number decreased from 51 to 38. By 1837 it was 

 30 ; by 1864, 21 ; and in 1894 only 9 remained. 



The small freeholders were also largely burdened with 

 mortgages, and even in the Isle of Axholme were said to have 

 suffered more than any other class ; largely because of their 

 passion for acquiring land at high prices, leaving most of the 

 purchase money on mortgage, and starting with insufficient 

 capital. 



As regards the agricultural labourer, 2 the chief effect of 

 the depression had been a reduction of the number employed 

 and a consequent , decrease in the regularity of employment. | 

 Their material condition had everywhere improved, 3 though 

 there were still striking differences in the wages paid in dif-j 

 ferent parts; and the improvement, though partly due to 

 increased earnings, was mainly attributable to the cheapening \ 

 of the necessaries of life. 



The great majority of ordinary labourers were hired by the 



1 Parliamentary Reports, Commissioners (1897), xv. 31. 



2 Ibid. p. 37 : 



NUMBER OF AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS IN ENGLAND AND WALES. 



1871. 1881. 1891. 1901. 



996,642 890,174 798,912 595J0 2 



The figures for 1901 are from Summary Tables, Parliamentary Blue Book 

 (C, d. 1,523), p. 202, Table xxxvi. 



3 According to the Report of the Royal Commission on Labour, 

 1893-4, the labourer was 'better fed, better dressed, his education and 

 language improved, his amusements less gross, his cottage generally 

 improved, though generally on small estates there were many bad ones 

 still left'. Parliamentary Reports, 1893, xxxv, Index 5 et seq. 



