The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-05 00:00:00

DISTRESS OF THE LABOURING

CLASSES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Whitchurch, Jan. 2.

Stu—Having seen a letter in your Paper of December 24,
signed " Robt. Hartwell," giving an account of his proceed•
ings in Dorsetshire, and of the meeting on Charlton Down,
which is a very false one, I beg to give you a plain statement
of the real facts, as far as my name is concerned, he having
called it in question, (among others), with a challenge of con-
tradiction :

Six of my men came to me the Monday week before the
meeting on Charlton Down, and asked me to advance their
wages to 103. a week. I told them that depended on circum-
stances ; for if they belonged to the Union that was now
forming, I should not advance one penny—that my money
I should never go to pay those demagogues who were travel-
ling the country to pocket their pence, to poison the minds of
the labourers, and to set them against their masters, who, in
my opinion, were their real friends. I told them also that I
did not think they knew what their wages were ; for on look-
ing over my labour-book I found their earnings, for the last
52 weeks, were, on an average, the lowest 9s. 3d., and the
highest 9s. 61d. in money, with half a bushel of the best
wheat per week for 3s. 6d. by which my loss was Is. per week,
their potatoe land, with furze for fuel, and the carriage home
gratis, they only paying for the cutting of the furze, so that in
truth, these payments and privileges were higher wages than
they now required of me. I told them what was my inten-
tion to have offered them, viz., an advance of 2d. per quarter
for thrashing, and the same in proportion for all piece work,
which would be an advance in their wages of from 12s. to
Is. 6d. per week; if any had joined the Union, they were to
leave it ; that if the price of wheat advanced to Is. per
bushed, I should not charge them more than 7s. They con-
sulted together for five minutes, and replied that they would
accept my offer, and went to work perfectly satisfied. In the
course of the week, I found that some of them had actually
joined the Union, and that a strike for advance of wages was
to take place at the next harvest. On the Saturday following,
when I paid them their wages, I mentioned what I had beard,
which they could not deny ; and I drew out a written agree-
ment to this effect, that those who had joined the Union were
to withdraw from it, and if they wished to leave my service, they
' should give me a month's notice, and that I would do the
same when I wanted to discharge them ; that if they would
not agree to this, they should not work for me ; they refused it,
and on the Monday following eight did not come to work.
On the day after the meeting, and the following Monday, they
came and offered themselves. I told them they knew my
terms, and they returned home again. The Wednesday fol-
lowing I received a letter from the Rev. T. Tyrwhitt, the
Vicar of the Parish, by the hands of the forem,4l of the men,
stating that he had seen the men, who were sorry for what
they had done, and would gladly accept my terms if I would
again employ them. I answered his letter, saying that if they
came to me on the Monday following, and acceded to the
terms I should propose, I had no objection to employ them.
They came, accepted the terms I offered, and were sorry they
had left me. I set them to work, with the exception of one young
man, who, being impertinent, I told him to go about his busi-
ness. No men have behaved better than they have up to this
time. The price of labour, like corn, is marketable, according
to its value, and wages vary accordingly. I employ twenty men
and boys, and have offered my best men 12s. per week in
in money, which they have refused, saying they would
rather continue the wages I have always been giving
_viz., 7s. Gd. per week, and 21s. extra for the summer, in
money, their wheat for their •grist at ss. per bushel, barley
to fat their pig at 3s. per bushel, a cottage and garder, pota-
toe land sufficient to grow potatoes for the use of their families,
but not to sell, ten cwt. of coal each, ned their furze for fuel
gratis, all which if they paid for, would make their wages full
13s. per week, and they never lose a day's work on account of
weather, &c. Every labourer has, besides, full one hogshead
of good ale or cider in the course of the year : my next eight
men earn more than 105. per week, on an average ; and the
rest full Bs.

Now with regard to letting out land to the poor : the Rev.
J. Michel (who is the principal land owner in the following
parishes which are adjoining each other, Whitchurcb, Mil-
bourn, Kingston, Clenstone, and Houghton,) lets out land to
the poor in each parish for gardens only, in quantities from ten
to forty perches to each family, at 2d. per perch, free from all
rates and taxes ; and I do not know one farmer who receives
rent for potatoe land from his labourer—they have it
gratis. With regard to clothing, H. C. Compton, Esq.,
'M.P., my landlord, established a penny club for clothing
the poor ten years ago in this parish, which now numbers
140 members, who pay one penny per week each, and a
subscription is made by the landowners, vicar, and farmers
in the parish, to double the amount paid by the poor;
which is all laid out in useful clothing, and distributed among
them on the first day in every year. There are many such
clubs in this district, and Mr. Abbott, a most respectable
draper of the town-of Blandford, serves most of them, and he
informs me that he has received from them 8001., on an ave-
rage, for some years past—this year upwards of 1,000/. In
this parish alone 40/. were given away last year to the poor in
coals and faggots only. As to the meeting on Charlton Down,
which was close to the western turnpike road, being the Guar-
dian for Whitchurch, I attended the Board of Guardians at
Blandford on that day, and on my return, I found Mr. Hart-
well addressing the people from a waggon, and I can positively
assert that the whole number, including men, women, and
children, there assembled did not amount to 1,500, instead of
6,000, as he describes ; there were not 50 men on horseback,
nor were there ever 200 hands held up for any measure he
proposed ; the others were led thither by the novelty of the
meeting. After Mr. Hartwell had finished, a Mr. Phillips
rose, who described himself as a working man from Bath, and
addressed the people ; his language was so disgusting and in-
decent, that most of the respectable people left the Down.
On that day fortnight some of the men applied to the Bland-
ford Board of Guardians for work, or relief; they were in-
formed that there was work for them at Bs. per week, and
piece-work as might be agreed on. They said their masters
would not employ them unless they signed an agreement for a
month's notice each way, and to leave the Union ; which they
would not do. They did not object to the wages. There was
not a word said about 7s. per week, nor bondsmen required, as
Mr. H. asserts. They were told by the Board, that if work
were offered them, and they refused it, the Board could not
interfere. Some of them went back and joined their masters
again, and others have refused to do so. Out of a population of
920, there arc two men in this parish out of work, because
they will not accept-the terms proposed by the farmers.
I have now, In a homely manner, st;ted to you the real facts,
which I can verify on oath ; and if I have been too tedious in
the detail, I must request you to excuse the imperfections of
my letter, for I never before addressed an Editor ; nor should
I on this occasion, had Mr. H. confined himself to the truth.
This is my first, and it shall be the last letter I mean to trouble
you with ; and I trust that, in justice to myself and the other
parties concerned, you will have the kindness to give it an
early insertion, for the information of the public.
I remain, Sir, yours respectfully,
HENRY FOOKES,
A Renting Farmer, and a Guardian of
the Blandford Union.