The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-07-18 00:00:00

A DUKE AND HIS DWELLING.

LETTER FROM AN EMIGRANT
FARMER.

A Canadian farmer of eighteen years experience, having
emigrated in IW, writes us (L iverpool Weekly Albion)
As an old English farmer of long bygone days, I
have anxiously been watching from this distance the
present hotly-contested and mutually disastrous battle
of Capital r. Labour which at last appears likely, for
a time at least, to end in a drawn battle, each party,
nevertheless, dissatisfied with the result, and only
resting on their arms just like the French and Germans,
watching their opportunity to renew the conflict,
mutual confidence in each ‘,Ll,er meanwhile having
been entirely lust.
- -

Now, it may be reasonably asked, what is to be the
result of this most unhappy state of affairs' Farm
labourers and farmers, with the natural growth of
population, are increasing yearly • but land does not
grow or increase, consequently landlords and their
farms remain in statu quo, if not actually decreasing,
despite sundry spasmodic fits of emigration.
I Now, these somewhat arbitrary and despotic trades
unions are urging on the contest between the agricul-
tural labourers and their employers, boldly demanding
an increase of pay to the tune of 50 per cent.
10e. or 12s. to 18s. weekly. From my own past expe-
rience in English agriculture I boldly affirm that, in
consequence of high rent of land and other increased
I parochial burdens, with the greatly diminished value
of every kind of corn, that the tenant-farmers—the
1 unhappy middlemen between the owner of the soil
and the actinl cultivator of it—cannot afford to
comply with this increased demand of pay, much as
they may stand in need of it, and obtain in return a
easonalile interest on capital and labour employed in
the due and proper cultivation of their land, unless
the landlords will proportionably reduce their rents,
which I as firmly believe they will not do, and from a
worldly point of view, they con hardly be blamed, for,
it being universally allowed that supply and demand
always regulate prices' and the supply of farms being
strictly limited, if not actually yearly diminishing,
for small lots of land offering for sale are invariably
bought up by the adjoining proprietors, despite the
low interest derived from landed property on capital
invested, and, per contra, the number of anxious appli-
cants for farms about to be vacated, steadily on the in-
crease year by year, the natural selfishness of mankind
will prevail, and the present rent of land will continue,
even if it do not increase, with the increasing &naiad.
What, then, will be the natural result? Farmers
will employ less band labour, and more machinery
wherever practicable. Much good corn land now
under grain cultivation will be laid down permanently
in pasture for the feeding of cattle as being more
remunerative and much less expensive, the ultimate
result being that emigration on a large and regularly
organised plan, more especially of farmers' young sons,
emigrating and settling, German fashion, en block, to
afford mutual assistance and social intercourse, los-
seasing sufficient capital to purchase lots of colonial
sheeplands and work them, must be adopted as the
only possible alternative to prevent more mischief,
for the possessions being already overcrowded and
trade of every kind just as full, even to suffocation,
no other possible outlet remains, whilst hundreds of
thousands of acres of pod colonial lands are now
crying aloud for willing hands to till them, offering
a fair reward in return.