36 



Broughton Gifford. 



have more than a quarter of an acre. The labourer must not be 

 tempted to turn small farmer. He will do himself no good by any- 

 such ambition. He cannot possibly successfully compete with the 

 capital, organization, and machinery of the regular farmer. But, 

 gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas. He aspires to be his own mas- 

 ter, and if you give him the chance, he will try it on, and ruin 

 himself in the attempt. Such is the struggle for land that the 

 labourer very much exaggerates the good which 40 perches do 

 him. If he were to keep an account of the labour expended on his 

 ground, and value that labour at the rate which he himself receives 

 from the farmer, he would find that his pig, his potatoes, and his 

 other produce cost him dear. But then, there is the occupation of 

 odd hours, the something for the wife and children to do, the in- 

 dependent position, the procuring vegetables which are not to be 

 purchased, the interest in working for oneself, the pride in the re- 

 sults however painfully attained, the health gained — all this is not 

 estimated by the political economist, but it is worth paying for, 

 if happiness be a good. So perhaps the labourer is right after all. 



Our home supply of labour is generally sufficient all the year 

 round. There is some excess of supply over demand in the winter ; 

 and, during the pressure of the hay and corn harvests, some turn 

 their hands to out-door work, who are not usually so employed. 

 Wages are paid in hard cash. There is nothing like the truck 

 system, said to exist in some localities, of so much tail corn, wood> 

 &c, to make up scanty money payments. 



Manufacturing Industry. 



Our hand-loom weavers, whose numbers are rather more than half 

 our agriculturists, work at their own homes, in their weaving "shops," 

 many hours for little money. When in full employment they are 

 fourteen hours a day at it, hands, arms, legs, and feet in full play. 

 A good weaver can turn out four, five, or six yards per day, for 

 which he receives 10d., 8d., or 6d. per yard. But this is not all 

 profit. He has to pay perhaps two children, at least one to change 

 shuttles for him. Another child "quillies." Besides, he is subject to 

 deductions for all faults. Nor is he thus employed every day. If 



