The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-01-16 00:00:00

AND THE CATTLE PLAGUE.

To tie Sailor&

A deputation, of which the writer farmed a part,
lately waited on the Home Secretary for the purpose
of inducing the Government to adopt move stringent
measures with reference to the math plague, and to
take tip the subject of a national insurance against
the looses from the disease. Sir George Grey dis-
cussed Om former subject at some length, but
dismissed Um latter with the observation, "Oh!
that is Mr. Gladstone's basiamt, not mine; you
must talk to him about that." The subject has
no doubt bees again brought before the Chancellor,
who haw at length Vase in the form of a letter ad•
dressed to Sir . D. Lloyd, in which he adduces the
various objections be entertains aping the scheme.
It is satisfactory to find that there are no red tape
objections urged, so that we may presume that if
the scheme were desirable it could be readily carried
out and worked by the Government machinery.
This is the more important, as we think every one
of the right hon. gentleman's objections can be
readily overthrown. He says—

1. The difiloulty, and not the difficulty only, but
the iniporslbility, of preventing mrelessnees, waste, and
fraud of every kind, from the first moment it should be.
tome known that the ultimate respoeibility (beyond a
Iced limit, which would at asses be found a very, very
narrow ono) lay with the sables purse"
I. This objection would apply with equal force to
either • mutual or propaletery insurance; in fact, to
the very prima* of all Meantime, but may easily be
obviated by booting that the insurer should take epos
himself me-fourth or oree-lifth the risk. It would then
be his interest to preserve his animals from the pie,
and this would not be the only inducement, inasmuch
as by the loss of his cattle the manufacture of beef or
dairy produce is elopes& and the profits thereof out off
for some Wirth of time.
"1, The h,a that in • number of mae. particular dis-
tricts and landlords have already made their own
arrangements, which mart have been acted upon. Were
Government to move into the field, these good exempts.
would be neutralised, and throe who have met their own
Immo would be milled as taxpayers to maist in meeting
the tomes of other people too."
11. To dd. objeetion It may be replied that as eves
Government indorse.* would be optional with the in-
surers, it would not interfere with those very few is.
stones, wirers, by the sasistawee of landlords sad the
public, snob hour-saes meosistioes now work suomerfally.
ssetstance of landlords and others might then very
properly take the form of obesity, End afford aseistanee
to time who luive, through no (salt of theirs, 'warred
heavy losses without having had any opportunity to
inenre.
"3. If it @ball appear, as is probable, that it is to en-
ervation natter than cars or somplemstion that we must
chielly look, ander Provide's*, for the mitigation of the
calamity, nothing could be so unfortunate as • measure
like • state guarantee, which, by reboring vigilance and
the ingenuity of ealf-iateresti would teedtak• the
minds of men et a subject obviously of the greatest
meant, sod, as clearly, sot yet soseded to the bottom.
This objeetion dose not apply to Pio" of • voluntary
netere, wher, ever, am would be shocked by his neigh-
bours, and each would here its proper adjust-
ments.' . .

TI!. This objection is bat a of the first, mid
therefore the Dame reply mighrtr iirr:nsat Lit " usigbi
aim add thst at preeset the moment • bard is visited
with the disease, or eves threateeed, it bowmen the in-
terest of the owner to ascent the Meese treil and sell
the remainder of Isis stock at no small merifise, tints
Sot txtl7 emit. ibetian SWI sired of dissent, but
destroying the source of future 'applies. If protected
by Government to fourAllths of Os OZIOD, be would DO
kni.' do tit* bat would bend his beck and weather
IL. storm. Again, at present trod* in cattle is wailed.
00 man, sithotte possessing &headers:es( rook will Dad
to or keep up h stock. This is contrary to the_pnblic
, interest, and woeld he speedily altered if the ia of
indisputeble inenrartes existed.
" If the "We Pkges should not extend itself on
a large male, 554 .0 the Leese of • sever. character
should be moaned to IL small fractioaof the farming
slam, there menu an obvious lenpreeekty in relieving
landlord; neighbours, and tarsaWe property from the
duty of 'misting, so far as assistance in neosesary. them
on whom the blow has fallen. And the precedent
would be SD evil one.

IV. If the lames from the cattle plague are oom-
paratively then the premiums pad by the
insurers would he abaodsotar sullielont to corer all
tomes so that the psi& would be no losers.
5. Bat, if on the other hand, the disease abou'd
extend very widely, the resell most inevitably Ite felt
its a math angomoted who of mesh The consumer
would the. prolmbly, taking the °matey all over, pay
the game or a larger aggregate amount al money for a
igraitly diakinktbad twitity. AU those who were not
emitting in their WO MAIO weak' thus ma, lardy by
the dies.... predawn, whil• 11. eeteronen they would
ont.•‘"ths:s amag"....the Wiliotmirnitibit"orkitiod"tolari".
twlss arld far ft* 11•41 in extra pries,
foe tb, mos look while landlords amil ealtlvatore of
• .0a would, probably, as • dun, hays their lees (as
la alba eon year) eatatarrafled by • sorrespeadbig or
• smug ben*?

• I.—Mesintioes Oprea 2.4 emir Doe
Giovaani. Di. &lib...UM, Dom* Raii..i lo
Diablo, Yrs Dia.olo, Lee Beresso.., L. pm.
=8.1.1 Dom Notre, arab& Sax Rohm ri
I —Auld 3.—lhrs Lary.
Swam eakitk. Laadaa, sew awl Co., 44, Nana*
skeet, 5.44 Toalsaksas Oes:Frosd.

AND AGRICULTURAL

V. If the dames should extend over • long Milled as
here assumed, the premium, of course would be equally
extended, sod would be sufficient to sorer the loser,
and the Government be no lasers, exempt in the verl
unlikely contingency that the losses should ocintinne to
Increase in a fat greater proportion than they hays
hitherto done, and with snail • rapidity so no to set
aside all the eakulations on which an Maumee, pre-
mium would be founded. It is, however, when the
dams. has been overcome that the public will begin to
suffer the most from high pries of moat from the short-
nets of the stock, and the collamo of the breath.' sad
fatting Madness, and it is to prevent such onntingemies
and to keep them industrial pursuits alive that a
Government inturanoe should be formed. The n•hito
has quite as great an interest in the prevention of the
farmer's ruin as the landlord, and a Late portion mesh
more en, for whilst the latter am reamer his rents from
ths remnant of the tenant's property, even lifter his
cattle have been carried away by the plague; the mer-
chant and the tradesman who have supplied his wants
may look in vain for the mount of their debts after the
sweeping Manta of the pestilence and the landlord bare
been satisfied. The Chstatellor throughout Me letter
SASSOIDOS that it is sharitahle assistance that is naked for,
but it is nothing of the sort, for olthough agriculturists as
well SA others come time aims contributed freely to the
fund for assisting the distressed cotton-spinners, yet
at the present time they do not ask for eleemosy-
nary aid, but simply for that orwaniamirm and that
guarantee which a Government tan readily afford. The
lames from the Mamie up to the end of the year
amounted to Dearly 56,000 foe the lye months, or at the
rate of 133,000 per annum. Now usiming that the
number of cattle in the country amount to 7i millions,
as iftleaSSOOS of 2 per cent would defray the lame. of
150,000 head. that allowing • good margin for expenses.
If, therefor*, the insurance at the farnser's MAO VOUS.
dile were prepaid hell-yearly, thaw In infected districts
would gladly pay in the arat inseams an extra 1 per
cent, making 2 pet Dent for the half-year, whilst those
In districts not infested would be tempted to maim
with all haste as as to nave this extra 1 per sent which
they would otherwise have to pay if they walled am
long. Thus. although the Government would guarantee
the value of the nettle loot, it would itself in great
rowers be guaranteed from ultimate loss by the
amount of the premiums paid.

It is unneoserary to follow the Right Rouble.
Gentleman through the medical part of his letter.
He is here merely adding one opinion to that of
scores of medicine ma that have gone before him.
As Chancellor of the Exchequer however, be lam
the mighty power and the golden opportunity of
doing an immensity of good and of preventing that
grievous scandal that will otherwise remain as a true
plague spot in our history; that whilst the Govern-
ment can guarantee loses to our colonies, and eves
to foreign countries, whether Christian or 11111h0t1IIN
dao, it refused to pat forth its helping band in time
of used to save a larue important and influential
Mass from threatened ruin.

I sat, yours truly,
W. C. SPOONER.
Eliug, Southampton, Jan. 10th 1866.

THE MANCHESTER THREAT OF INQUIRING
INTO LABOUR IN DORSETSHIRIL

To tho Editors

As • resident in Dorestshire, and alone of Mom
who employ agricultural labourers, cannot continue
silent under the tionsesue attribsted to us by the
self seekers, and ostensibly charitable "Manchester
men," who really know about as much of what they
are pmting of as they do of the man in the moon I
I have already mid that the subscription raised for
the labourer who committed • felony, John Cross,
was • eery great mistake and a premium upon crime.
Now as to the threatened "Manchester discussion
on the condition of. the agrieultaral labourers in
Doreetehire," as abided to in the Dorset County
Ezpress of the 9th of January, we really are very
much obliged to them Blanchester men for adding, to
their other manafactinve, an onslaught on distant
mention, sod I cannot help calling to mind • speech
of mine in the Rome of Commons, whea in reply
to an attack made by Mr. Bright during the
debate then before the House, on the condition of the
colonial farmers of the West Indira, I told
him in the presence of his friend the late
Mr. Cobden. that the latter but • few days
before had informed me that be had often told Mr.
Bright, that so great were hU pugnacious proclivities
to attack all things, whether be knew anything of
them or not, that "if be (Mr. Bright) had not
been • Quaker be would have been a prizefighter."
The same proclivity seems to apply to Mr. Bright's
friends st Manchester, as shown by the Manclester
Examiner. If we, the employers of labour in Dorset-
shire, were to institute an inquiry into the state and
cruel sufferings of those in and around Manchester,
working ghastly time at slender wages, for blood
money, or for money shortening their lives, I take
it, as Byron has sung—
" In guise undid," en could show for Manchester aa
Sirlitalli us, " • dinned balance with the devil."

-
It is a fact, that here in Doreetahir• we should be
glad to pay high remunerative wages for good
labour, bat at the present moment myself and some
of my friends cannot get fair labour at fifteen
'hilltop a week.
True there era idle hands to be bad, who would
come perhaps four or five days out of one week for
that sum, leave their job on the other days, and on
Saturday night and Sunday morning out of gratitude
for good pay, unhang every gate there chanced to be
between the beerhomme and their but.; bat them are
not the sort of men that will give good work for
good money. They cannot get more than eight
shilling' a week, and they are very dear at that
price. Indeed, I would rather be without them
than avail myself of such doubtful amnion.

Na longer ago than yesterday a labouring man called
at my door to ask for the employment he had beard
I had to give. I told him it wee " spade huslandry,"
—ditching, trenching and draining—the wages 12a •
week, when, if in the course of bis employment his
occupation lay where he might get over his shoes in
water, thee, in sore Calle, while so CCOUPIedr
should rains his wages from 12a to 15e.
He Moan told me that if he was to be wet in the
feet he should require much higher pay than 15..
Of course I (rent him away.
Nov this wee • man whom I have known as willing
to carry • bag for a gentleman for • whole day's
shooting for • couple of shillings, and there are many
like him who would rather earn • few odd shillings
in a week, to drink with, than obtain ocestinocoe
labour to which they moat stick, at the rate of good
remunerative pay.
There are good labourer, in Dorsistehire, and
better men I do not desire to see, who do get work,
and can be gladly employed at fifteen shillings a
week, but I regret to say there are others that are
not worth eight shilling, a week, and as we moot
get fair work from them, though willing to pay
for it if we could, why they are not likely to earn
much money.
To carry the war into the Manchester or manu-
facturing camp, it weuld he mooing to discover
bow the inferior, dronkea, and incapable hands were
paid there, if they got any employment at all I I
take it, we should find many a father of • family, as
wells. others, given "the key of the street," by
way of employment or shelter from the storm, end
that charity here was not charity there, and
"devil's dust" very dear at the prim at which it
was made to be swallowed

Yours truly,
GRANTLEY F. BERKELEY.
Alderney Manor, Jan. Mb, 1866.

PUDDLETOWN.

A Jrr black fox was nen in Minton wood on
Saturday.

Till Rev. Campbell Lock, and the Rev.
George B. Hodges, late curates of this parish,
have both, we hear, obtained preferment is
London. Mr. Lock has accepted the curacy of S.
Clerkiru•all, and Mr. Hodges that of
Christchurch, Clapham.

New NATIONAL Smoot& —The DOW OODOOIS,
which have recently been erected in this pariah,
were opened a few days beck. The achool consists
of three commodious and lofty rooms, time devoted
to the boys and girls being each 40 feet in length by
19 bet wide, and having separate porch entrances;
attached to these are two dans rooms, snob 18
feet by 12 feet. The girls' edam room and infant
school Sr. separated from the girls' school by two
moveable partitions. The infant school is 23 ft.
6 in. by 18 ft. The roofs are steep pitched,
and cionstroolied of open timbers stained and var-
nished, the principals resting on stone oorbsle. The
school building forma two wisp with gables, con.
mated by a °entre compartment lighted byi large
.ionsier, and in each of the gaWe ends of the school
is placed a large window. lii the gable sod of the
boys' school, and partly supported by • buttress, is
erected a prettily dusigned bell-turret of Doulting
Stan.. The buiklings are made of Pox well 4000,
with Docking stone drearier to doors end window.,
and are furnished with every WNIVODWIDOS. The
sobool-roolus, are well ventilated, and boated by
Hayden'. hot-water apparatus, whilst in mar of the
premien are specious lavatories and olosete, i which
the dry-earth system has been adopted. Ths whole
of the buildings, the frontage or which messaree
about lan het, an encircled by • boundary wall,
which amoIOMU • •Pas!ou?
.playground for the

• and is appresebed byornamental wicket
Woo. fortable 1100011101odstian oen be offered
to upwards of 300 wilsolare, sod the entire mak
a,monnting to about £3,000, his been defrayed by
Jobe Rrymer, Reg. High Sheriff of Dorset. Messrs.
Wainwright and El;mrd, of Sheptou Mallet, wei• the
&alums, Mr. Charles Young, of this village, the
budder, and Mr. Wellspring, of Dorchester, ezeonted
the wood-work. A commodious home is attached
to the schools, as a resident* for the maw, Mr.
Collins.