The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-18 00:00:00

THE SPEAKER ON AGRICULTURE.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right
Hon. H. W. Brand, was present at the Lewes Fat
Stock Show dinner on Tuesday, and in proposing the
toast of the " Members for East Sussex," said,—
When I was invited to come to this entertainment I
said to myself I shall be called upon to say something
on the Land Question. I did not very well know how
to prepare myself on that matter, but I set to work,
and I read for a second time a document which I con-
sider exceedingly interesting and instructive, and
which ought to be in every farmer's hands. It may be
purchased for the modest sum of eightpence ; it is
the report of Mr. Clare Reed and Mr. Pell, which
they made on their visit to America (hear, hear).
I am bound to say I think every owner and occupier
of land ought to feel very much indebted to those
gentlemen for the trouble they have taken in their in-
quiry. (Applause.) They have given us a series of most
important facts, and left us to draw our own conclusions
from those facts. There has been rather a disposition to
question and cavil with what they have reported, but
I have read their report twice over, and I think it is a
most admirable one—one which is very consoling to
the agricultural interests of this country, especially
with reference to the competition which America
is able to carry on with us. There, is one
point which I do not think has been sufficiently ad-
verted to in their report; they say we may safely look
forward to the day when America will send their
stock to this country to be fattened- sip on our soil.
I think if that state of things is brought about
we should not have so much competition with the
American farmer, but more co-operation with him.
(Applause). Of course, Ido not for a moment recom-
mend any change in the existing law with regard to
the introduction of cattle until the Americans have
got a clean bill of health on their cattle, but they are
long-headed and shrewd, quite as shrewd, or more
so, than we are, and knowing their own interests
they would say to.themselves "If we want to carry,
on a profitable trade with Great Britain and the Con-
tinent in this article of stock we must keep our
cattle clean." I look forward to the time when we
shall buy store cattle and fatten them in our own
fields. I think this would be a good solution of
American competition in the way of cattle. It has
been said, and said very often, that the British farmer
is so severely handicapped that he cannot possibly
compete with the American farmer. It is said the Eng-
lish farmer has his rent, rates, taxes, and labour to pay.
No doubt he has all these things to pay, but is not his
American rival compelled to make a similar expendi-
ture. (Hear, hear, and "No.") Some gentleman
says "No," but I go back to the source of my autho-
rity, and venture to quote what Messrs. Read and
Pell have said on that subject. If you would be good
enough to go through the report to which I have
referred you will find they give instances of a great
many American farms, they all bear a strong family
resemblance, but I have extracted from that book one
account which is so short, and puts the point so
clearly, that with your permission I will read it.
(Hear, hear) :

"A farm in the vicinity of St. Peters is worth 35 to
50 dollars per acre, yielding per acre 15 bushels of
wheat and 60 bushels of oats. Land is let here (the
question of land arises immediately) at shares. The
landlord finds all land, half the seed, and half the
threshing, and takes half the grain."

Well, now, I put it to the tenant-farmers here pre-
sent: What would you think of land leased on the
principle of the landlord taking half the grain
(laughter). I should be glad to let all my farms at
that rate (renewed laughter). "In the case of a farm
of 50 acres, 15 acres arable and 35 pasture, the arable
land rates at three dollars, or 12s. 6d. per acre, and
the pasture at • one dollar per acre." I should say
to them, in passing, that it strikes me, having some
little practical knowledge of the value of land, that
land which produces fifteen bushels per acre is rather
dear at 12s. 6d. "The taxes," and it is generally sup-
posed there are no taxes or rates in America, "amount
to from eighteen to twenty bushels on the lot,
or about is. 7d. per acre. The school rate presses
heavily." That is exactly what we feel here, and what
I want to point out is this, that it is a mistake to sup-
pose that these burdens are felt on one side of the
Atlantic and not -on the other. "The assessment,"
it goes on to say, "is an annual one, only bringing
improvements into charge." Of course that shows at
once from year to year improvements are carried out,
and have to be paid for in farm rates, and there-
fore the rates are increased there as in this country.
I merdly brought forward this statement to show that
the burdens upon farmers, although considered heavy
in this country, are still felt very severely in America;
and you will also bear in mind what is not stated in
this account, that the labourers' wages are invariably
as high as a dollar per day, and generally the board
added, so that the burden, with regard to labour,
is certainly much higher in that country than in this.
When we speak of farmers on the two sines of the
Atlantic being handicapped in different ways, we
must remember that we are close to our own markets,
whilst theirs are 3,000 miles off. Surely this is a heavy
weight in the system of handicapping on the Ameri-
can farmer. I think it right, particularly with re-
gard to rating, to say that I do think there is a dis-
position, a practice rather, on the part of Parliament
to impose rates somewhat too freely on the agri-
cultural interest, and I was glad to hear what
was said by our worthy Chairman, that it is
the duty of all our representatives to watch with
great jealousy that practice; but when these rates
and burdens shall have been adjusted with perfect
justice to the farmer I am very sorry to say the sub-
stantial relief will not be great—(hear, and applause)
—and I would say to the farmer, Depend not upon
Parliament, depend not upon any doctrines or teach-
ings that may be given to you by people who know
little what they are speaking about—(hear, hear)—but
depend upon yourselves. (Applause.) The only way
out of this crisis is by your own energy, capital, and
skill; and if there are those who ask you to look to
protection, reciprocity, and that kind of thing, do not
believe them, but trust to yourselves. (Applause.)