The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-12-09 00:00:00

THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER.

In London, on Monday evening, at the concluding
meeting of the Farmers' Club, Mr. C. S. Read, M.P.,
introduced the suliject of "The Agricultural Labourer
—his poeitien and prospects," and, in the course of his
speech, he remarked that he (Mr. Read) did not object
to unions, but it was no use uniting against the broad
principle of political economy. Yet they found farm
and other labourers combining for the purpose of ex-
tracting from employers more than they could afford to
pay. He bad advocated some years ago an increase of
wages, but he had been seriously di.appointed in the
result, because with the increased pay hadcome less work,
shorter hours, and worse quality of labour. Every kind
of labour had deteriorated—it took now three men to do
the work which two would have done twenty years ago,
and that not nearly so well done. This arose from
the unwillingness of the young labourer to learn,
and of the old men to teach. Education, he said,
did not improve their condition as labourers, as it
tended to draw them away to town and limit their
agricultural knowledge. On the subject of hours of
work in "the good old days," Mr. Read said that, by
an Act of Richard II.„ the labourer worked from
March to September from five in the morning to seven
at night. At the present time on the C,ntinent the
men worked twelve hours a day, whereas the English
farmer never asked for more than ten hours a day
from the men. He maintained that machinery
bad improved the condition of the labourer, by.
reducing his work without reducing his pay; and
passing from the labourer to the farmer, he said that
there would be no objection to better payment if
better work could be °Learned, but it was their duty
to clooloine for their own defence against the highly.
organised and well-drilled body they would have to
meet so soon as there was a return of prosperity.
They did not want to grind down the men, but they
desired better work, as the land was gradually de•
teriotating in co i sequence of bad labour, and this they
could not get. The farmers met union with uMou.
As to the labourers' prospects, he said that in the
future they would be well educated, but the result of
the compulsory education amongst the children of the
agriculturists would injure their pecuniary position,
as the children were able to earn a shilling a day at
certain seasons of the year, of which the parents would
be deprived by the children going to school. He hoped
that the franchise would not be conferred upon the
labourers until they would be able to know their
leaders, and he trusted that benefit societies would
be more generally used amongst them. Hi said
that wages would continue to be good and that
there would be plenty of employment for all those who
were able and willing to work, whilst their
homes wou'd be better if the unions were not to
set their faces against the men living near the
farmers, so that they should not be immediately under
the control of their employers. In conclusion he said
that self-interest ought to teach the men that it was to
the common advantage of themselves and their masters
that they should work iu harmony with their em-
ployers, and he prayed for a return of that sympathy
which bound him and Ls labourers together in former
timer.

Mr. Mackie that there was no doubt that the union
had improved and was improving the condition of the
labourer, I ecause it had given rise to the discussion of
many matters for their benetit, and besides their con-
dition was being improved by the fact of there being
n 4 superabundance of labourers. Although education
would prove a hardship to the labourer at the present
time, yet he would derive benefit hereafter by his
children being so educated that they might go to the
towns for employment.
Some discussion followed in which Mr. Walker Mr.
Wood, and others took part, in the course of which the
forced education of labourers' children was both
advocated and condemned, and reference was made to
the importance of improving the homes of the farm
labourers as a means of promoting the cultivation of
future generations of agricultural labourers attached
to the soil upon which they were raised.
Over 24 COO Masons were made in North America
last year, and the whole number of affiliated Masons on the
Contnent it this time exceeds 600,000.
At noon on Monday tne Roman Catholic convent at
Wotverhampton was Lund to no on fire. Before the flames
could he Ertl guished considerable damage was done to the
furniture and building.
At the fat cattle show held at Leeds the total entries
was 991, as against 897 last year. The principal prfz,taker
was an ox belonging io Mr. Adamscn, of Baiquala.ra, near
Aberdeen, which, besides the Mayer's trip and' the first pr re
In its class, was awarded the silver cupoi the Leeds Butchers'
Association. For sheep the first prize was awarded to the
Earl of Zatland, and for pigs to Mr. IL Falkingham, Baker-
York,