Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-28
COOPERATIVE FARMING.

.
The Right Honorable the Speaker Of the
House Of Commons gave his annual treat
| fortnight ago to the laborers on his estate
| to celebrate the ingsthering of the harvest.
Mr.. Brand himself presided at the dinner,
and in reply to the toast of his health, con-
| graduated those present upon the abun-
dance of the harvest in that part of Eng
land, expressing his regret that all parts of
the kingdom had not been similarly favor
ed. The right honorable gentleman con-
tinued:- 1t will be in your recollection that
about three years ago, when we assembled
| in this tent, l called the atten-
ton Of the young boys in my
| employ to the necessity for those who
could not then read and write, and who
wished to remain IN my service, to learn to
do so at once; and warned them that I'M
less they did SO they would not continue In
my service. l am happy to find that that
warning has produced good effect and l
intend to adhere TO the principle that all
! boys who wish TO be employed by me,
must leard to read and write before they
can receive wages. Now suppose that in
these times, when there IS so much talk
about the rate Of wages, you viii hardly
think am doing my duty if l do not say
! something in reference to the agitation
which is going on throughout the kingdom.
My opinion is, we shall never have salts
factory settlement of the question until the
laborer receives in some shape or other q
| share, though Il may be small one, Of
the profit Of the business in which he is en-
gagged.
L refer not Only 70 those employed upon
farms, but to those engaged in mining, in
| manufactures, and in trades of all kinds.
But, you will say, how is the laborer to de-
rive any share of the profits of farming
when he has no capital? Well, it is quite
true that you have no capital beyond your
labor, but what is capital? Capital is moth
| ing more nor less than labor husbanded.
| Now, If you could save any money, however
small the amount, and could Invest it in
carrying on a farm, think, according to
the sum so invested, you would be en-
titled to q share in the profits of that farm.
l will give you q practical illustration OF
what mean. Some of you, dare say,
are fortunate enough to have few pounds
in the savings bank, and believe the saw
ings bank limits the interest paid on the
investments to p per cent. Now, will
make a proposition to you, and to all in
my employ. Ii you have got 81, we will
say, in the savings bank, and you would
like TO lend lat to my farming business,
will engage to give you, as the savings bank
does, % per cent for the money. And
will do more than that. l will, supposine
the profits of the farm amount to more thai
q per cent upon the money have invested
/ viii give you rateably precisely the same
interest upon the capital you lend me. Tha
is to say, supposing / get 10 per cent a:
profit on the capital have invested on thu
farm, you shall have 10 per cent on your
instead of %. So you see you will be il
this position-that you will never get les
than the q per cent you receive at present
and if the farm yields more you will havt
the benefit of it.
, Some will probably say, "How am l t.
get the 5L.?" Well, We know it does no
rain 81. notes, but | will suggest to those
who have not that amount in hand that the!
should lay by so much a week. The rat,
of pay to the boys!is from 3s.6d. to As. pc
week, and the wages increase according Il
the ability to work. The carriers, shep
herds, etc, for instance, receive about los
per week, and out of this it seems to me i
is by no means impossible that some ma,
save Is. week; and if you pay me tina
sum | will engage, at the end of the year, t
pay you the 81. if you desire it, Plus % pc
cent, or whatever higher rate of interes
arises from the years farming operations
L am quite sure of this, that we shall neve
come to satisfactory settlement of the re
lations between employer and employees
until the latter, according to the amount O
labor and capital he has invested, has al
interest in the good conduct Of the con
Germ. Ny sole object is 10 give You a pei
sonal pecuniary interest in the conduct o
the farm, and to endeavor to raise you
/ little above the position you now occupy a
laborers. The right Hon. gentleman
propositions were very favorably discusse
BY the men during the day,