New Orleans daily crescent., 1859-10-18
i,sN1sI.7sH AGRIcULTUEsE.

4
II a article, written sometime snce' on .ae
t,nsph Of labor over capital inthe great patte ior
t.c nine hour system in London, we alluded 70 the
rrobabity that this success would encourage iaoor
combinations generally for the coercion OF capital
that the movement would very likely soon spread
into the rural districts, and that in conse-
uuence 81 the agricultural laborers compelling
higher rates of wages the extensive land-holders,
who now monopoze nearly all the rural real estate
in the United Kingdom, would find 1t more desirable
to sell in small parcels as required, than to hold
their lands, which could no longer be cultivated
with profit Since the publication of that article
We have fallen upon data which confirm It's
conclusions. These statistics show that the net
return to tlers of the soil in Great Britain is less
than five per cent. on the value Of the landed pro-
perty, one-third of the gross yield oehg aosoioe.
in various forms of tax. Thewages OF agrie"itufa'
labor average less than twelve sh1lings per "eeh'
or somewhat less than three dollars. mus II Is
shown that both capital and labor are poorly
enough maid, and that ifabor exercises the power
which il has recently proved that 1t possesses III
compe]ling higher rates of remunerauon' very
small advance will destroy that margin OF hve per
cont rrotit. and render agricultural pursuits
losing investment for capital The immediate con-
,aa,,e,ca vii, be that the large landholders will
ra,l ont II such customers as may present them
selves that the great estates will be nto
small freeholds and the important class OF rural
middlemen, now almost extingulshed, Will pe re-
established in greater numerical force and With
greater influence than ever, constituting the strong
est barrier Of popular rghtsthe fact and spirit Of
damncracv acva-for they will crush out the corrupt
elective practses by which the nobility of England
stock the House Of Commons at will, debating any
vote they please to their tenantry.
II will be interesting in this connection to refer to
the difficulties with which English agriculture has to
contend in competing with that Of America in the
production Of the cereal crops. In the first place
the price of land is enormous ordinary good farm
ing land being held at an average Of $3.50 to S400
per acre. Late English papers report sale by
auction of portion of the Westbury and Henbury
estates of the late Hon. W. NJ. Noel, and twenty
two acres Of the Westbury land brought $3.50 per
acre and forty acres Of the Henbury land $415 per
acre. Thus capital which constitutes fortune in
itself is necessary, the first step toward farming.
for the purchase of land and then one-third of the
gross yield is eaten up in taxes in the various forms
of tax including land tax, income tax, tthes, road
rates and poor rates. Being oppressed, agricultu-
rists have to oppress in turn to keep their heads
above water, and so they grind down their emyloy-
ees and are barely enabled to achieve the less than
Ave per cent Of profit on their investments. With
what careful hands will not the reins of En-
glish Government have to be managed, should
the agricultural interests be distressed by Ia
Dor combinations? The corn law agitations once
seemed to shake the kingdom to its foundation, and
general ruin and civil war was predictedif govern
ment ceased to protect agriculture by duties on
breadstuffs. But the duties were taken off to de-
gree, and agriculture still survived the shock OF
competition to whichit was exposed. But how did
it survive? Small land-holders could no longer af-
ford to cultivate, and were compelled to sell out to
agricultural capitalists and these were only enabled
to hold on by screwing down labor to the lowest
figures and even at that securing but the narrowest
margin of profit-less than five per cent At the
same time safety valve for the escape of the tur-
bulept mass of laborers whom free trade in bread
stuifs threw out of employ, was afordedby increas'
ed demand for manufacturing operatives and by the
facilities for emigration to America and colonial
possessions aordedby emigration societies, and the
cheap arrangement of emigrant packets. Those
VINO IOuuu ~ HcGtssdiJ w oAiaSi"eC "ehS EsiASA"J
those who had been compelled to sell out, and thus
had the money for travelling expenses, and theil
withdrawal from the labor market made way fol
the still poorer class who could not afford to travel
But the free trade in breadstus was blessing, fol
it made the staff of life cheaper for the hungry
masses. t4
Suppose, now, the laborers, who have the
power, combine against the employers in the
agricultural distincts, and compel such small
advance on the low rates of wages as vii
consume the small profit which now accrues
how will English producers compete in the marke
with those of America, where land is dollar or 81
an acre, more OF less? They will be distressed
and the popular disturbance will be greater thai
at the very climax of the corn law excitement
Something will have to be done for the protection
of agricultural interests and how to do it will be
problem which will puzzle the long heads of En-
glsh political economists, for they will hate II
yield to the alternative, which will be the selling
out of their possessions by the landed nobility
and the consequent loss of their popular influence