The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-05-25 00:00:00

THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS
IN KENT.

On Monday evening last two large gatherings of
agricultural labourers of the western parts of the
county of Kent were held, the first on the Brent, near
Dartford, and the other at the Royal Oak, Northumber-
land-heath, near Erith, for the purpoee of discussing
their grievances and organizing branches in co-operation '
with the Agricultural Labourers' Union, recently
established at Maidstone. The weather being fine and
the day being a holyday, the attendance was very
numerous at both places, and there was a manifest
determination to join earnestly in the agitation for
increase of wages and reduction of the hours of labour.
Mr. Simmons, of Maidstone, and others connected
with the movement addressed the meetings, and main-
tained that, though there were two sides to this ques-
tion, as to all others, the farmers' side was, upon the
showing of unmistakable statistics, immeasurably the
weakest. If rentz were higher in this country than in
any other, that was the farmers' own fault, and they
had the legislative remedy in their hands if they
chose to use it instead of allowing landed pro-
prietors to have it all their own way at the hustings.
Then the Government returns of the agricultural de-
partment of trade showed that the realization on the
staple produce of Kent, that of hops, from 1861 to
1871. hod ranged, with failures and successes, from
112 10s. to £l4 per cwt. Now, it was found that if the
farmers had only realized an average of £5 per cwt.
they would be well able to pay their labourers more
than the paltry 13s. or Hs. a week, which were in
reality, all the year round, only about 9s. 101. or 10s.
But the average profit for the ten years named was
£7 2s. per cwt., and thus it was seen that the farmers
of Kent, while continuing the wretched scale of wages
to their labourers, had actually pocketed two guineas
per cwt. on their hops over and above what would have
enabled them to pay a fair sum to their men. It was
urged that union on the part of the labourers alone could
effect the fair and equitable objects in view, which
were that the wages should be Is. a day, and that the
days of labour should i be nine hours long n winter and
nine and a half in summer, with a cessation at four
o'clock on Saturdays; that the men who suffered
from their connection with the Union should be tem-
porarily supported, and either sent to other parts of
the country or to the British colonies. It was said
that already there were in Kent some 1,200 labourers
in union, and as arrangements were made for the
forming of about 18 additional branches, no doubt, in
two or three months, they would number five or six
thousand members.
Arrangements were made for the formation of
. branches of the Union at Dartford and Erioh, and the
, proceedings terminated.

The agitation in Suffolk is not diminishing. Those
on strike n ake it a practice to parade the streets with
a view of exciting sympathy. Those in the vicinity of
Chedburgh and Depden have struck for an advance to
138., and refuse to take 12s. Employers have in some
instances expressed a willingness to give the 135., but
the men will not rest satisfied until they get 155., and
this the employers cannot afford to give. The agita-
tion is causing a stagnation in agricultural pursuits,
but the masters will not give in to unreasonable de-
mands.

CANON GMDLESTONE AND THE
DEVONSHIRE LABOURERS.
On Monday afternoon Canon Girdlestone gave a farewell
addressto alarge number of agricultural labourers at ether-
ton. The Canon, who was frequently applauded, said :
" On first coming to Halberton he was abtonished and
depressed at the poverty of the agricultural labourers in
the district. They had poor wages and poor houses, and it
was nothing but a struggle through life, with the union
or relief from the poor-rate when incapacitated from
work. This was a state of things far different from what
he had been accustomed to in the north of England,
and he determined, by the blessing of God to do all
he could to raise their condition. He soon came to
the conclusion that the only way to do this was to send
the labourers to those parts of England where more
labourers were required, and where they had better
wages. For years, therefore, he had been sending
labourers to Yorkshire and other northern parts of
England ; he had sent away four hundred from that
parish and neighbourhood, and thirty men were about
to go, leaving behind them 9s. a week in Devonshire
for 18s., 195., and 20s. in Yorkshire. He had a
most satisfactory account of those who had left;
and he seldom had a post which did not contain
a letter from some labourer expressive of his
satisfaction at having left Devonshire. They all
said they would rather stay where they were than come
back again ; they were happy, and felt that it was
almost like going into the garden of Eden compared to
what they had been used to. He (the canon) hoped
there had been a corresponding benefit to the labourers
left behind. Some good had been accomplished, if
he had been rightly informed that within the last few
months the farmers had given an increase ef Is. per
week. He hoped it was true, but even if it were,
it did not come up to the wages of the north of
England. He strongly urged the labourers to be united, I
and pointed out the benefits of unions. Unless they '
were united they woul never raise their wages to
what they ought to be; and if they did succeed in
raising their wages, they would not be able to maintain
the rice unless they were united. Another point which
would be gained by unions was the getting the whole
of their wages in the current coin of the realm, instead
of being obliged totake part in liquor. There wasnothing
so degrading to Lis mind as that the labourer should he
dictated to as to how he should receive his wages. By
being milted, too, they would obtain better houses for
themselves. It was not the farmer's fault, however that
their houses were no bad. They must be united against
the landowners in this question. Some of the
houses were not fit for cattle to live in. much less for
Christian men and women. Parliament wished the
country to be a self-governing one, and this being the.
case, every man who owned a rateable cottage should
kave a right to vote. But did a labourer dare go to a
vestry and take part in the election of a waywarden,
of a guardian, or of a member of a school board!
Why was this? Because they were afraid of their
masters. But if they were united they could with a
bold face demand to vote as well as their masters."