TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 631 



cember 31, 1881 , as ascertained by the Sixth Section of the Railways Act, amounted 

 to 1,140 persons killed, and 8,676 injured. A CTOvernment inspector remarked 

 ■when observin<? the fatality of railway servants, ' that it was a scandal that sixteen 

 consecutive hours of work should be exacted from any man upon whose ■vigilance 

 depends the safety of the public,' and whose momentary forgetfulness might 

 occasion a fatal catastrophe. 



5. Agricultural Statistics, Tenure, and Aspects. By "William Botlt, 



M.BA.8.E. 



The author cited figures showing tiiat the quantity of food brought to Europe 

 in the past year exceeded 8,000,000 tons, at a cost of 35,000,000/. sterling, for meat, 

 and 85,000,000/. for grain ; of the 35,000,000/. for meat, the United Kingdom paid 

 20,612,000/. ; being at the rate of 40 lbs. weight of imported meat to each in- 

 habitant. Our consimiption of grain is 607,000,000 bushels, our production, 

 322,000,000 bushels. 



As regards produce per acre, England compares favourably with most other 

 countries, though admitting we have some minutiae to learn from them, particularly 

 in that of growing more fruits and vegetables, as a new and profitable departure 

 in agriculture. With reference to the landholder, fewer restrictions as to cropping, &c., 

 must be observed, — security of tenure, an equitable rent, with compensation for all 

 unexhausted impi-ovements. The tenant to have practical knowledge, ample capital, 

 skill, and enterprise ; he must be a farmer — not a high-ilying, sporting, racing, and 

 betting man. Tlie labourer must have a decent cottage, and garden-ground for 

 vegetables, employing himself and family after hours, making him more respectable 

 and far happier than spending his time and hard earnings in smoking and drinking 

 at the alehouse. 



With those reasonable and equitable adjustments, a good mai'ket at our own 

 doors, with more favourable seasons, the author spoke hopefully, concluding thus : 

 • 1 have no doubt as to a brighter future for agriculture. We stand Al in our yield 

 of wheat, and are the largest consumers of meat in Europe.' 



FRIDAY, AUGUST 25. 



The Peesidext delivered the following Address : — 



On Local Government in Biiral Districts, 



In selecting Local Government in the Rural Districts for the subject of my address 

 I have no wish to transgress the rules of the Association, which eliminate contro- 

 versial politics from the materials for our discussions ; on the contrary, I am anxious 

 to seize an opportunity which thus presents itself of securing for what is, or ought 

 to be, a non-political question, the chance of being considered and examined in a 

 non-political atmosphere. 



There are also some circumstances and arrangements to be found in the local 

 government of the county of Hampshire, commonly called the county of South- 

 ampton, which seem peculiarly worthy of notice by way of illustrating what is or 

 mav be tlie state of things under the existing law and practice. 



Those who desire to enter into the question of local government historically, 

 analytically, and comprehensively, will find it dealt with <?& oi'o, and in an exhaustive 

 manner, by my friend the Warden of Merton College, Oxford, in an excellent essay 

 published by the Oobden Club (in their volume for 1882). Such is not my inten- 

 tion. I wish rather to take it up on the assumption that the actual facts of the 

 case are more or less familiarly known to my hearers, and to offer some observa- 

 tions, the result of my own laiowledge and experience, which may direct attention 



