The Hickman courier., 1872-08-31
Drift OF Labor from the COuu-
try 10 Large Cities.

In modern society the drift of labor is
away from farming and the couutrV to
mechanism business aud the city. The
tendency, also, Is toward the increase OF
corporate labor on large scale over the
old fashioned small industry. In Prus-
sia this increase has not been great, and
was less than one per cent. in the tbir
teen years from 1876 10 1859, while in
England snd France the proportion has
been vastly greater. In Great Britain
the families of the agricultural class
Junk, from 1911 to 1921. from 30 to %
per cent, and in 1851 had fallen to % 6
per cent The industrial population
between 1871 and 1881, rose to Al per
cent. " bile the agricultural class in
l84l in relation to 1881 had fallen of
about % per cent, the number in me
chanical industry and business, in the
same time, rose about II per cent. The
same movement appears in France Iu
she short time between 1854 aud 1856
the agricultural class. Including women
and children, had fallen from SO 81 down
- 81 81 per cent. while the number iu
industry and business had risen from
q 0S to 1888 per cent The policy OF
Napoleon undoubtedly tended to he D on
this increase Of mechanism and trade
aud to bring about au iujudicious negleci
OF farming aud grazing. state of thingr
not we'll IN a uatIon of which two>third,
of the residents belong TO the rural popu
lation.
Ia France the decrease of population
10 the country ia 1916 Sc was fully So
while the increase in the cities Was ] So
"a proportion Of excess 10 city multi
tudes that Is connected with the worst
aspects of French society. In other
countries the same process is going on
but not to the same extent. Thus in
Great Britain the city iucrease has been
81 per ceut. Of the population, aud inI
the country l per cent; aud in Prussia
the numbers are nearer those of France
the gain in the cities being 80. and in
the country 076. In the Netherlands
the change has been least. the proportion
of gain being 81 for the city and "a
for the country, during the period esti
mated 1866. This undoubted
growth of the population OF cities is to
be explained not merely by the love OF
travel by railwsy. but by the passion OF
excitement. the desire for high wages.
ana the pleasures aud chances Of the great
metropolis.
The great vices abound in cities and
add TO their attractions, and do much TO
eRervate the masses there. The average
length of life indeed is higher iu the city
than in the country-perbsps in part
through better medical attendance and
hospitals; but the bone and sinew of the
nation l. in the cOuotry, AID the defense
ot nations is mainly in its agricultural
classes. The veteran statistieian, Suss
milch, put great stress upon tie superi
ority OF the farming population over TIE
industrial classes as soldiers. Il nd ascribed
rhe difference to the fact that they have
land and family to defend and will fghr
better than the operative. who has only
lonely fire aud a hearth TO guard
sstatement that must be 4akeR glth come
reserve, when We remeDb Der What enthu
siasm great numbers Of people are capa
bic Of. and what wonders the people OF
ei les have done in wars of principle aud
passion. Undoubtedly the greatest evil
of gathering masses into cities is the
danger OF losing the sanc:ity Of the
family aud the home with the virtues
aud comforts that belong to the house
hold. This point is to be looked to more
than the gross capital of Industry; and
wealth is poverty when its enormous &C
eumulations are purchased by the degra-
dation of the laborer
Here the Gefmanic mind is noblY
taking a stand against the Latin central I
ization; aud il is one of the best hopes |
of modern society that the German NOR
alist and statesman are following up so
loyalty The old Teutonic principle, and i
protesting against sacrificing The mpn |
and the family to the despotism of uum
bers or capital Germany itself mas been
teaching gigantic lesson of social ethics
TO n orld. aud before and within the I
walls of Paris her men from loyal homes
have shown how much truer aud strong
er is the courage nutured within the fam
lily than that which is developed uuder
less happy domestic and social condi
Harper's Naqaziae.