The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-01
4 CRISIS in ENGLAND.
The Agricultural Lockout in
the Farming Districts.
RURAL LIFE IN ENGLAND.
Distressing Picture Of Ignorance,
Want and Disease.
THE LEADER OF THE UPRISING.

THE LEADER OF THE UPRISING.
NEWMARKET, April II, 1874
"Engiand u now standing on the threshold OF .
greater political change than any she has expe-
rienced since the days Of CROMWELL was the re-
mark made to your correspondent only the other
day, by one OF the shrewdest and most far-seeing
of the English working class leaders. sour agri-
cultural laborers," he continued. shave at last
awoke to sense OF their serfdom. and are de-
handing the political privileges which should be
the birthright OF every citizen. The friends Of
national progress have been waiting almost de-
spairingly for this day. but 1t has dawned at last
The ball is now rolling and 1t cannot stop till the
iaborer is righted and he cannot be rghted till the
whole land Jurisprudence Of the country has been
thoroughly and absolutely remodeled.n The
statement OF this leader may be partial
and exaggerated, but glance at the
story OF the present agricultural laborers'
STRIKE" now being detailed at such length
In the columns of the leading English Journals will
show to how great an extent there Ia basis OF
OF the overthrow OF the land tenure OF the coun-
try. over 1000 OF the tlllers OF the soil OF the
eastern counties are now on strike. They ask for
higher weekly wage for better cottages for the
privileges OF education for their children, and
they raise, as an issue which Ia inseparable from
these complaints, the cry that until they have the
right Of voting" their prospect OF complete re-
dress is hopeless. the case for the laborer. even
on the showing OF the special correspondents Of
the London press. who do not usually write with
out due reverence for the vesred interests OF the
country, is . remarkably good one. Your CORE
spondent. however, has visited the headquarters
OF this great rural rising, In order that he might
give the HERALD readers the results OF personal
interviews with the men on strike ana their
leaders.
This labor revolt originated six weeks ago at the
small village Of Exning, near Newmarket, and has
since extended over the greater part Of the coun-
ties Of Sufok and East Cambridgeshre ana Is still
extending. The wages OF the laborers at Exning
were thirteen shfllings per week, and they asked
rise Of one shilling, owing to the high price OF pro-
visions. They were told Dy the masters that they
could not get the rise and that II they did not give
up their tickets Of membership OF the National
Agricultural Laborers' Union-under whose dicta-
ton they were supposed TO be acting-they would
be Stocked out.n The laborers responded that but
for the union they would still have been working
for ten shiings week that they believed 1t their
best friend and therefore they would not desert it.
lockout Immediately followed, not only OF the
Exning men, but generally of the 'unionists" over
the two counties This step was taken by the farmers
In the hope OF breaking the association by throw
ing more idle men on Its hands than 1t could sup
port. The trade unionists OF the towns however,
have rallied to the support OF their agricultural
brethren, whose union, having been only some two
has matt, t1o zAc NbA
machinery to cope with q counter-check OF such
magnitude and OF so unantcipated character.
This intervention has enabled the laborers to
adopt as defiant position as their masters, and at
this moment both parties are holding aloof the one
from the other each persuaded that his opponent
must be the first to give way.
RURAL LIFE IN ENGLAND.
Meantime the fierce light OF publicity Is falling on
state of rural distress In England which Is in
itself disgrace to q civilized country. At Exning
families OF six or seven are housed in novels
scarcely ten feet square, and whose ceiling does
not permit of an ordinary sized man standing up
right The walls of these abodes, as seen by your
correspondent, are damp and covered with
blotches Of green moisture. Children are LETT un-
tenaed at home by mothers who must earn their
precarious existence on the fields and high
ways. Loathsome vermin crawl on these
infants, and their arms and legs are so
speckled with eabtes that they look as II aflicted
with measles. There Ia no school. The Squire an
octogenarian English gentleman, thoroughly ante
diluvian In his politics, has not much faith In
schools and has hitherto denied school ''site to
the villagers The nearest place OF instruction ia
two miles distant and is overcrowded. The weekly
wage earned by the laborers Is thirteen shillings
week, out OF which threepence is paid contribu-
ton to sick club. They pay "a year as rent for
no moi In m nd In IN mo for ha
rent at Harvesting J" when they earn something
like E10 by their extra labor at that season. One
and all of them are more or less In debt to the
small provision stores. Hitherto, when they have
made complaint they have been told to 90 where
they would do better, and until the formation OF
the Agricultural Union, two years ago, they have
not dared to complain for fear OF dismissal,
They have had no funds to take them
elsewhere, and their debts to the small
shopkeepers have deprived them OF all
freedom Of action. Despite all these depressing
circumstances the men are wholly untatnted with
the seditious talk not uncommon In some Of the
working class quarters OF the large towns. In
deed, such little adornment as they have bestowed
on their wretched novels is generally engraving
OF Her Majesty the Princess OF Wales, while here
and there cards with texts OF Scripture not always
very aprop0s to the surroundings nailed to the
walls. sum of nine shillings per week is all that
the unions can pay these men, and ct present they
are really suffering martyrdom in shape Of semi
starvation in vindcation OF their rights They are
on as short ratons as the besIeged were in the last
days OF the siege OF Paris.
THE LOCKOUT
meetings are held once week in the market place
here for the purpose of infusing spirit into the
men. The Moses OF the movement in the
eastern centre Is one George Ball,
Lincolnshire laborer whose speeches never
fail to awaken the greatest enthusiasm among
MS brethren. Joseph Arch, OF whose mission to
canada your readers are already aware, Is now on
. sick bed, and George Ball acts as his deputy.
Ball, Ike other leaders in the movement, has been
. local preacher IN the Methodist connection. He
speaks with more force and possesses greater in
felieCtual power than Mr. Arch and a i,ke,v IN