The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-12-12 00:00:00

HIRING FAIRS.

The next subject is the hiring of yotir labourervi
Every 14th of February there is a fair held at Dor-
cheater, to which carters, shepherds, and other men
resort to be hired. It is sometimes very annoying toa
farmer when, on the 13th of February, be goes to his
stable, and John, the carter, accosts bits, "Well,
Maaster, we han't said nothing 'bout stayen 'nether
year." You, perhaps, say that he is very comfortable
where he is, but are surprised to hear him say, "I
think I shall goo cla fair." You are inclined to
anathematize the fair as you proceed to visit your
flock, when you carry yeur inclination into effect
by hearing a similar story from Thomas the shep-
herd. Now, it often happens that both carter and shep-
herd are well suited, but they want a day at the fair.
They go, and when there you may be the first to whom
they will speak to be re-engaged; but these fairs are pests
to the farmers; the most dissatisfied lazy fellows are
those who go there, and should they meet a good
labourer they poison him, if they can, with their mean
Insinuations. Drunkenness and revelry are abundant,
and ynur moo return mentally, morally, and physically
worse than they went. Discourage these fairs I say,
but give your folks a holiday at other times. Every
labourer now gets a penny paper, and by a shilling ad-
vertisement farmers can always get labourers to fill a
vacant situation,

Jortat caoss.

And now, gentlemen, I have to oommence the subject
of wages, and the abominable name Dorset farmers have
acquired for low wages, you know as well as I can tell
you. The "discerning British public" have lately
made a martyr of a thief because be sounded the old
cry Dorset low wages. I say the workman is always
worthy of his hire, but I believe the ptiblio hare done very
wrong in Living £l5O to a man who was really guilty of
a theft. You all, without doubt, remember old .sop's
leables. I will relate one—On going through the streets
a Athens A.ep saw a ferocious dog bite a mass leg
making a severe wound, Acting tinder a superstitious
belief that by dipping a pieoo of bread in the blood and
giving it to the dog to eat, iodarnmaton would be
stopped, the man did go, but 2ffsop said, "laly 'that.
fellow, don't reward dogs that bite you in that manner,
or we shall soon have ne loge to cakevy 114 about." So
say I to the s,yuspathetio public. Don't reward all
those who commit petty thefts and raise the cry of low
Wages thus, or farmers will goon have no labourers to
employ, and our gaols will be filled. But tell the ye
pubho! Do you not think there are hundreds in worse
circumstances than John CMOs, who know their duty
to 4oil and man, and endure their honest poverty
patiently, rather than violate that sacred law, "Thou
shalt not steaL" I wish these poor creatures could have
a share of that which John Cross has done really
nothing to deserve except steal an old hurdle. On this
ease I will not mate mach comment, except that I
know farmers are so subject to petty thefts that London
people can have no ides of, and very few of them (+o-
nkel proem!e an offender when detected.

ever

Martin is, I believe, by no means of Isis spselnisn of
the true Dorset farmer, and I oan venture ler met*
that there is scarcely one man in West Demi "rho
would have driven the charge for an offence of really so
trifling a nature to the eztiremity to "'hien Mr. Martin
drove it.

WAGES.
I feel tiome dildenee in speaking on the matter of
,wages, more especially, as Dorset is down by the
whole country as the ‘ke lowest
amount of wag., is express
'my ow* 'Views on the Ms extracts
from the opinions of others, so At present
might contradict deir etatemenl can. First,
. .