RURAL DEPOPULATION 11 



period of thirty years of £12,094,424, or 25 per 

 cent. It is difficult to believe that an agri- 

 cultural estate is an enviable possession under 

 such circumstances. After deducting all ex- 

 penses for estate management, repairs to 

 buildings, etc., and general obligations attach- 

 ing to an estate, the profit remaining to an 

 agricultural landowner at the present time is a 

 very small one on the capital involved. 



The position of the agricultural labourer 

 will be dealt with later. The ^vi-etched con- 

 ditions in which in many districts he is expected 

 to exist are only too true ; but they are the 

 results of what has gone before, and in the 

 natural sequence of events could hardly be 

 otherwise. He has made no attempt to stop 

 in an occupation which has treated him so 

 evilly, and a great depreciation has taken place 

 in the nmnber of persons employed by our 

 agricultural industry. 



Mr. Jesse CoUings devotes a valuable chap- 

 ter to this subject in his book " Land Reform," 

 and the following table will show what a 

 remarka])lc decrease in country workers has 

 taken place compared with the increase in the 

 total population : 



