The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-04-12
English FarmssHands.

The late agricultural Union meeting
held in London deserves special atten-
ton. The case is this, in brief. Hodge,
as the BritOn designates his farm hand,
is almost as stOlid and long enduring as
when his Norman master first put an
iron collar about his neck; and less than
any class of Englishmen has murmured
against the ruling powers. But Hodge
has found a voice at last. The cause
Wages of from 81 so to So per week,
with families to support out Of it, and
cottages little better than pigsties, for
which he is charged high rental by his
employer. The recent rise in meat and
GOALS has driven the already famished
labOrer mad; mad enough at least to
demonstrate. A Mr.. Arch has become
spokesman for his class. He is labOrer
who has supported Il family Oh 81 rs per
week, whose breakfasts when he was
a hungry, growing lad, were bits of dry
bread dipped in hot water. These and
other dOleful tales Of starvation the
farm-hands set before the meeting.
Other matter for complaint lay in the
eviction of tenants from even their
wretched huts (accOrding to the Duke
they join a Union in hope of bettering
their condition. ArchbishOps and mem
bers Of Parliament appeared at the
meeting as sympathizers.
But the plain facts of the case oppose
themselves to all plans for their relief
like blank wall. The first is, the sup
ply of labOrers exceeds the demand.
''NO farmer" as The ReuieW suggests,
''Out Of purely sentimental cOnsidera-
tiOns is going to pay eighteen shillings
! per week for a man when he can find a
dozen willing to come for FOUR IF he
does, it becomes matter of charity, and
the recipient by so much pauperizes
himself. The only practicable mode of
relief as to wages, then, is to raise them
by diminishing the men in the labor
market, which is only to be done by
emigration. With regard to the second
complaint, of the wretched novels pro-
vided, and their high rentals, there is
something tO be said here, also, on the
| side of the landowners. While the
builders of houses for town labOrers
realize five per cent on their investment,
country cottages barely pay two per
cent. Owners of estates who are also
milliOnaires can afford this; but the
small farmer cannot readily dock his
income of four per cent for philanthropy
ic motives. Another difficulty, as point
| w OAp NY 1HC A/utty AfCUSs HIS III UIlG
law of primogeniture. The estate on
which are these miserable huts belongs,
in fact, to the owners eldest son. Ali
the provision he can make for other
children must be saved during his own
life. Cottages or other nOn-remunera-
tive improvements which require cash
outlay on the land are in reality so much
taken from the younger children to give
to the heir already too well provided
for. A man will naturally look to the
interests of his own famil y rather than
to those Of his tenants, and we should
not be too hard upon him for doing it
although it forces his labOrers to lodge
and starve in fashion to which expe.
diency would not allow him to sentence
his oxen and pigs. Neither sympathy
nor Outcries will avail much against
these obstacles; nor does it mend the
matter to raise the cry of Socialists anC
Agrarians against poor Arch and his
hungry colleagues. The sure outlet OF
relief lies in the very emigration which
England is. now discOuntenancing. [
France had possessed, and, possessing
used such relief in the days Of her lock
making King, she would not have heari
the cry Of Bread" from her famishe(
and triumphant farm-hands over hi
demolished thrOne.-[N. Y. Tribune.