AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS 135 



The bright, energetic, and ambitious man en- 

 deavours to find urban work or to emigrate 

 and farm in the colonies. Even in the in- 

 dustrial north, where the proximity of large 

 to^v^ls offers a competitive demand on his 

 services, and a farm labourer can in some 

 places earn as much as 25s. to 30s. a week with 

 a cottage rent free, it is difficult to keep him 

 to his agricultural employment. Men and 

 women drift to the towns, even if the actual 

 wage offered may be a little less, or take farms 

 abroad. And in other parts of the country, 

 where there is no work other than that offered 

 by the soil, and his earnings may be as low 

 as 12s. or 13s. a week, life is a long struggle 

 against poverty and destitution. In neither 

 case does agriculture offer any opportunity for 

 advancement. Old men have to stop, but they 

 urge their sons away. They may till the soil, 

 sow the seed, and reap the harvest, but never 

 can they hope to better their position or to 

 obtain a direct interest in the industry on 

 which they live. 



At the same time, a very genuine and 

 healtliy desire to return to rural life and 

 rural occupation is becoming manifest among 



