The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-07 00:00:00

The SPEAKER of the HOUSE of COMMONS
and his FARM LABOURERS.

On Saturday the Hight Hon. the Speaker gyve Isle
annual treat to the labourers on the Glyn& estate, to
celebrate the in-gathering of the harvest. The right
ilOll. gentleman presided at the dinner, and in the
course of his remarks congratulated those present on
the abunda ce of the harvest in their district, and ex-
pressed his regret that all parts of the kingdom had
not been similarly favoured.. The right hon. gentle-
man then expressed his determinalion to carry out the
principle be had adopted three years before, rot to pay
wages to boys until they could read and write; and
continued :

I suppose that, in these times, when there is so mach talk
eh< ut the rate of wages, you will hardly thick lam dicing
my duty If I do not say is-mething in reference to the a, ita.
tion which is going OD throughout the kingdom. My opinion
is, we shall never have a satisfactory settlement of that irises.
thin until the labourer receives, in some shape or tither
share, though it may be a small one, of the profits of the
liminess in which he is engaged. I refer nit only to those
employe d upon farms but to those engaged in mining, In
manufactorleuu, and in trades of all .kit-dr. llot, you will
say. Low is the labourer to desire any share of the profits
of farming when he has no capital Well, it ia smite
true that you have no capital h•-youd your lob-use: hut
what is capital I Cinitul is nothiug more nor less than
labour husbanded. Now, if you Mild save any money, how-
ever small the amount, and c mid invest it in carrying on a
farm, I think, according to the sum so invested, you would
be retitled to a share in the profits of that farm. (dear,
bear.) I will give you practical illustration of what I mean.
Some of yen. I dare say, are fortunate eunuch to have a few •
pounds In the savings bank, and I believe the savings bank .
limits the Pitemt pail on the investments to 2) per cent.
Now, I will make a proposWon to you, and to all in toy employ.
If yon have got £5, we a ill say, in the savings' bank, and you
would like to lend that to my farming business, I will engage
to give you as the savings bank does 2} oer c mt. for thencoiuey.
Ant I will do more than that. I wail, supposing the profits
of the farm amount to more than 2) per cent for the money
I have invested, give you rateably precisely the some in-
terest upon the capital you lend me. Cheers) That is to
say, supposing I get 10 per cent, as profit on the capital I
have invested on the farm, you shall have 10 per cent. on
your £.5 instead of 2i,. (Cheers) S./ your will see, pia will
be in this position, teat you will never get less thau Une
per cent. you receive at present, and II the farm yields more
you will have the lienetit of It. (blear) Some will probably
any, flow am Ito get the £5? Well, we know it rims not
ram £5 notes but I will suggest to those who have not that
amount in hand that they should lay by so much a week. The
rate of pay to the boys is 3a ill, to Os. per iveek, and the
wages increase accor, du, to the soility to work. Carters, sliep-
bents, kg., for Instance receive about 15s. per week, and out of
this it seems to me to be by no means impossible th-ut some may
save Is a week, and if your pay nue that sum I will engage at
the end of the year to lay you the £5 if you desire it, plus
21 per cent., or whatever rate ot interest arims from the
year's farming operations. (Cheers. lam quite sure of this,
that we shall never come to a satisfactory settlement of the
relations between employer and employed until the latter,
according to the amount of tabour and capital he has in-
vested, has eta interest in the good conduct of the concern.
(Cheers. My sole object is to give you a personal pecuniary
interest in the conduct of the farm, and to endeavour to
raise you a little above the position you now occupy as
labourers. (Cheers.) _ •

The right hon. gentleman's suggestions were most
favourably discussed by the labourers during the day.