The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-05-09
Slavery in the Agricultural Districts {
England How Children are sold b
Gang Masters.

The London Spectator says that a5ou
| fifty years ago, the prices of corn beini
very high, the land owners Of the dis
trict Of Lincolnshire, near LOuth, begai
enclosing the Fen on great scale. Cot
tages not paying. they did not build
many, and the farmers gradually col
lected bands of children of both sexes,
and set them to work under the over
seer. The system was found profitable,
particularly to owners of close parishes,
who were thus enabled to pull down
cottages, and SO completely abolish poor
rates, and it gradually spread over all
other parts of the county, and then into
parts of Huntingdonshire, Cambridge
shire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Nottingham
shire, till it became a regular trade
N en- out of work. or without characters,
or by instinct, went about from village
to village, hiring children at so much a
week, and then reletting them to the
farm ers at an advanced but still moder-
ate rate, till at the present time, it is be-
lieved that upwards of three hundred of
these ''public gangs" are in existence,
each with its gang master, and about
twenty children of both sexes The far
mers, moreover, finding the supply of
cheap aud organized labor convenient,
adopted the system for themselves, and
OIganized private gangs among their
own cottagers, till the total number of
children thus employed amounted to
many thousands more. Certain evils con
nected with the practice seem at last to
have struck, the local clergy. Parlia-
ment was induced to stir and the Home
Office ordered an official inquiry into the
system. Thelreport Of the Commission
ers has been received and printed with
the evidence, and the latter confirms the
worst stories current.
The gang system, as at present car
ried on in these counties, is declared by
witnesses of all kinds and classes-cler-
gymen. farmers, laborers, old gang mas
ters, mothers of girls who are in the
gangs, and decent laborers' wives-to
be fatal alike TO health, to civilization,
and morality. Children of both sexes
and of all ages, from five up TO sixteen.
are, in fact, sold by the wretched labor
ers to the gang masters at SO much per
head per week. generally, we are bound
to add, out Of the direst poverty. The
ganger having collected his children,
takes them away to his Job, forcing them
to walk, or. if needful, TO carry each
other, Tor distances which often involve
Of themselves great cruelty. Five miles
out and five back is thought nothing of,
in addition to almost continuous labor
for at leas. ten hours day. This labor
is generally wedding or picking stones,
perhaps the most exhausting kinds of
toll child can be called to perform =
They involve STOPPING for hours at
time, and some of the most efficient
gang masters choose out the strongest
of the children, aud calling him by the
significant name of the "backbrcaker,''
make the remainder keep up with him in
the furrow.
: The gang masters are not generally
there are exceptions-as
notorious cruelty would diminish their
supply of serfs. but the children are
disorderly and disinclined to toil-imag-
inc yonr child of ten STOPPING ten hours
. day at wedding in the open fields in
all weathers! and work is forced on with
the strap, administered impaEtially to
boys and girls.