The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-09-09 00:00:00

LABOURERS' IMPROVEMENT soczery.

A clpitel display of needlework, demonstrating that
In Ibis age of sewing machines deftness with the needle
I. not happily going cut of fashion in country pluses,
and a very smell and mediocre show of garden produces
constitute I the exhibition . f te Dorchester, Wey-
mouth, and Cirrus District Aaeoeiation for the ill:11,1'011e.
Of the ar iliioo of the labouring chose., hold at the
Town-hall, Dorchester, lad Tender For veers]
year. Plot tba fotrdeeing competition has Mon failing,
and really now there to very II•tle competition or merit
ha it; but that part relating to the work done at
eche° s and at home m.ma hichly sueoessfal, and gives
a valuable stimulus to the Ries, from Aro years and up-
ward.. Polo.. were given for all kinds of plain
needlework, darning, and knitting ; also for school
attendance, the be.: cultivated allotments and garde...,
the tidies cottages, and for vegetables, hooey, and
homemade bread.

The u..pecton o dirtilets were—Mr. E. William',
Mr. H. B. Middletoo, Mr. H. Hodges, Oolotel Steward,
Captain Gordon. Rey. E. Rovethid Re.. T. Baser,
and Mr. J. F. Hod.., jun. Thr. ladles who jades('
the needlework were—lwig Michel. Mrs. Brynr‘r, Mb.
Middleton, sad Miss Kiodersley. The iodate of pedal
produce weer —Mr. H. N. Middleton sad M. J. F.
Hodges. . . .

Tie'. meeting for the di‘tribution of prism took place
Is the Guildhall it two o clock. under the presidency of
General Sir Joha Michel, BAIL There were also
present—Mr. J. Foyer, bit'., Mr. E. L Eiodereley,
(bon. see.), the Rev. C. W. Rhenium, Mrs. Bingitun.
the Rey. T. W. Knipe, Mrs.. Knipe, Miss Buller, tie
B. 0. F. Steward, Lady Michel, the Rev. 8. Hobbs, ,
Mrs. and Mr. J. V: U. Lawmen, Mr. G. Marry, Mlle
Warry, Rev. P.O. Sylvester, the Rey. W. Urquhart,
the Rev. W. Barnee, Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Midiletos, the
Mimes }lodges Milo Parsons, Miss Halsey, the Rev.
U. J, Green, Mn. Green, the 1t.,. 11. B. Ravenbill,
Mrs. Ravenhill, Mr. Arthur Shirley, Miss Shirley, the
Rev. J. Brown, Mrs. and Min Fletcher, Mr. M. Green,
Mr. 0. Corm", Mr,. Prevost, Rev, B. and Mrs. Rashdall, Mr. R. William', dm The ball was well filled
with oottagera.
The CHAIRMAN, addressing the ineetiog, warned the
labourers spinet fancying Unionlion was going to tone.
6t them. If they would observe what bad been done
throuebont England by Unionism and by the minseTemet
strikes, they would find that every article ill the whole
country had been risen ln prima to stub an extent that
at the present time they were no better off with the
extra wages than before, but rather worse. Bo far as
the North of England was concerned they bad got large
wag*, best bad more !Aram, and what had been the
consequence? If they sated the Cheapener of the
&chequer he would tell them the whole increase in the
revenue of the country—ie., the .um paid to Parlia-
ment by taxation, had been almod'exolusivoly mused
by the greeter ooraumption of drink. Now he wanted
to ask the wives whether when the men got increased
wages they did not find • groat portion of it went in
drink t And whether the price of coda, shoes, cloth.
kg, end In fact every "Aide. had not risen In such a
degree that at the present moment they found, even
with arise in wanes, that they were no better off than
before. What hail they got? They had • dm in
money, butte many ea es perquisites were taken off,
and go their poeiticia wme not improved, while in coo.
gequeece of strikes the. prices of all the articles they
had to buy were mush sooressed. There was one other
poiot with regard to Ualonlem which he wanted to
warn these against. Is some of the Udozu the leaders
talked of having what they nailed • Benefit Clritst erelong
themselves; but he would reoommend them all very
@trawl) on no pretences whatever to put their money
Into Union Clubs, for they had not names associated
with them which would ensure their ultimately getting
anything for their payments. Even se Clubs are now
going in England numbers bad broken, and the poor
people who had paid late them for years lest their
money entirely; yet p.:ople joined them "imply bemuse
they had to pay a little leis dna to • good
end), and in the management of which there were
parsons of such a station in life that there was no
likelihood of their walking off with the funds as the
0010 ere of some of the former had done. There woe
some very oxoeU.st club" in this ouure, y, and those who
had money lo them he Mould recommend to keep it
there. If they found in the mune of years that the
Union clubs did not go to the bad of mum* they might
do as they liked about joining them, hut at percent his
advice was to stick to the dubs to which they now
belonged, He himself objected to Unions, simply
brasses he was sure in the long run they would do harm .
to the poor people of this county. In addition to what
be bad already said, Unionism would injure in this Ay :
at present labourers, farmers, and country gentlemen an
,ree on well together, the higher orders looked after the
lower, but the moment that iink was broken, it would
be very difficult to bring beck their relations to what
they were before He recommended them to pause
ere they took euch • step.
Mr. E. L. KINDZIUSLIT nil] they heard 11l things
said of th.. society, and advice given that people
should not try for he pee s as thereby they
were only lowerin4 themselves. and It wits unworthy of
the labourers to compote in ouch a way. Ho romenibcrd
seeing a loading article in the Ti at es vary much to that
effect, saying what nonsense it was to give prism, for
what possible return could it be for a long life of good
conduct to receive a few shilliags reward? Bat didn't
they ace pHs as given everywhere? Was it the
labourers only Had not Farmers Clubs got pries?
Did the cup a farmer received for showing the hest
bullock reward him for all his trouble and expense?
Not • bit of it—(hear, hem). Throughout all the pluses
and differeot cooditions of life, they found mists given,
the object being not to make them • substantial return
for excellency, but simply ea an ruknowledgeseat of
excellence; and it was no more degrading to the
labourer to come forward and be pleased to have his
skill and Industry acknowledged than for the farmer
or any other person to haves recognition a merit from
soy source whatever.
Mr. J. FLOIRI, )LP., while congratulating the
smoomeful competitors, pointed oat to those who had
failed that the exertion of the contest was benedoial ;
end he went on to remind ell that the only way to gee
• prise was by good, thorough, honest work. That
was tho way a garden wee kept in good wrier ; that
was the way • house was kept aloe and tidy; that
wag the way a good loaf was made. No Bey mare or
woman could qualify for price,, It might ho said
It required • great deal of hard work to th, is.
That was quite trio.; and when a man wt ..1 home
from a hard day's work perhaps it was rather •
Vial to set hard to work in his garden; and he (Mr.
=) might be told that there was some dentW
being overworked. Well, he had no greet bond
la that. Be did not believe menyonen died at overwork

--
whether if Ik. brain ara the bands. Look at the
lawyers. Perhaps they work. d &shard with thodr brains
asanybody, pt as.., of them Iteed toe greet age. Then
look at their hon. fraud the Chairman. And who had
worked harrier than ho in ;tooth Afries, where he had
omioci on operations against a foe that never slept?
—he oould not go to bed at 10 at night, and get up at
six In the morning. Irks those now present did,
thor Ire be to God. r• rfently aouret of their
own safety erne, comfort. Donlitlem Sir John was
often kept awake all idaht, guarding sgatnat the
seamy. Then again he WWI in India, pursuing with •
dying column the rebels over burning @soda and undue
a torrid sun. li. (Mr. Moyer) should like to know what
work was harder than that ! Besides all that Sir John
had boon on ditty in Chin., in the Crimea, and all
parts of the world—ln all climates and all emutrles.
'l's-day he was their Pirsi It, and though it would ha
, Invidious and ix/voilal to say at what ago he had
artived--(laughter) thcy sow him "tout and strong and
am at for work as ever he was—(hear hear.)
That hard work dli not kill, Sir John was
• striking illnetrstion. Don't let thorn be afrali of
work. lie (Mr. Myer) liked a holiday as well as
anybody, and nobody enjoyed it snore after work ; and
he was glad that labouliog man thould also have their
holidays and amusements, but • good deal too mush
was said in the se days about having moue time aid no
work. He did not think that was good for any one.
He believed constant work was the beet thing, and
they might depend up It that in tb• hearty
honed pursuit of the work that fell to their bands
they would rind the trio root to happiness.
The Rev. C. W. BIXOUAII thanked Sir John for
the good semoble word. be had addressed to the
labourer. to-day. Ho (Mr, liiogham) did not think
that the labourer" of Dorset weirs such fools as to
believe that those who had lived among.% them all
their lives anti laboured for t. vi, many for long years,
were their enemies, whilst the men who ran down here
I on occasion, for which they worn lull paid, wore their
' flienda—(hmr, hear).
I Tim meeting then sang "Hod &we lb. 4411"2"
I according to old custom.
The prises were then distributed by Sir John kliohol
and Hr. Moderate,. Vic list was pribliahed in loot
Friday's Te/egnma