The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-02-13 00:00:00

THE CONDITION OF THE AGRICUL-
TURAL LABOURER.

On Saturday a special meeting of the Shropshire Chamber
of Agriculture was held at Shrewsbury for the purpose of
considering the condition of the agricultural laborer. There
was a large attendance of landlords and tenant farmers;
among the former being the Earl of fowls, General the lion.
Percy Herbert, M. P. Colonel Corbett, M. P., Mr. Ormsby
Gore, M.P., and Mr. R. Jaspar More. The meeting had been
convened at the request of the Hon. Edward Stanhope, one
of the Assistant-Commissioners appointed by Government to
Inquire into the condition of the agricultural labourer.

In addressing the meeting Mr. Stanhope said the
questions upon which he wished to have the opinion of
the agriculturists present were,—first, as to the em-
ployment of women and children in agricultural
labour; secondly, as to the character of the cottages
provided for the residence of farm servants; and,
thirdly, as to the education of the agricultural labourer.
It was very likely that upon several questions of agri-
cultural politics there would shortly be legislation.
With regard to education he might venture to say there
certainly would be legislation, and it was the desire of
Government before introducing any measure to take
the agricultural body into its confidence and ascertain
their views upon the points under consideration. The
view of Government as to what education of the farm
labourer meant was expressed in the following in-
structions to the Commissioners:—

You will regard the question of education, not in the re-
stricted sense of the mere ordinary elements of instruction,
but in the wider and more important one of the training of
the future agricultural labourer in habits of industry,
honesty, and fidelity to the trust reposed in him, anti of so
opening and informing his mind as to make him a more skil-
ful and efficient farm servant.

A long and interesting discussion ensued. A reso-
lution moved by the Rev. Mr. Pigott to the effect,—
That it is desirable to discourage the employment
of boys in agricultural labour under 12 years of age,"
was carried by a large majority.
On the motion of the Earl of Powis it was unani-
mously agreed that,—" It is desirable that greater
facilities be given to schools in small rural parishes
than are now conferred by the funds of the Committee
of Council on Education, in order to make the labour
of youths more useful." His lordship said that the
support of schools in small rural parishes was one of
the questions which demanded the earnest attention of
Government. In Ireland, whence he had recently
returned from an official mission in connexion with the
question of education, all that was required in order to
secure a Government advance to a school was that a
class should be formed having a Nei ni,llMit number of
twenty-four pupils. He thought that this was a
system which might very well Is' extended to England.
On the subject of cottages for farm labourers the
necessity for improvement was generally admitted,
but it was decided not to adopt any resolution sugg,eating
a fixed numberof rooms bleach cottage, or the numberof
cottages per acre on a farm, these being, in the opinion
of the meeting, matters beyond the reach of Parlia-
mentary legislation.