The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-01
The English Agricultural Poor.
(London Correspondence Of she New York
Graphic1

(London Correspondence Of the New York
Graphic
The tale Of the revolving immortality which
is an enforced condition of the life Of many Of
the English hborers has never been told.
When, some years ago, tho Chartist troubles
aroused men like Charles Kingsley to the
necessity Of bringing the condition of the
poor prominently before the public, in hopes
to arouse whatever Of humanity there was in
capitalists and the landed gentry. aristocratic
England affected establishment at the pictures
Of life disclosed, and then-let the poor go
on as they have always done in England,
living on "subsistence wages, whion too
frequently afford not even subsistence. Such
books rs "Alton Locke" are supposed to
have had an effect in attracting attention to
very dark side of civilized life, but what have
they done to tighten it Almost nothing
A recent letter to the Tines, signed by Harry
Fawcett shows the utter hardness and blind
ness of the farmers who, because the years
harvest has been abundant, have reduced the
wages of farm laborers from the pittance of
twelve shillings week to eleven shillings, the
excuse being that bread will be cheaper; and
so tho laborers' hard earnings must 20 to swell
the more than ordinarily large incomes OF the
farmers The hardest being on Gods earth is
that same English farmer; himself and his are
all he cares for, and he will grind the faces Of
the poor with recklessness Of all human COZ
sideraticns almost impossible to conceive.
And the result is such as is shocking TO hu-
man nature. Recent investig atoms in the
hop growing district by Farnham- tits is
softened picture state Of morals
which the deeorous Tines will never put be-
fore the public in all its revolving forms Hop
picking il . healthful sort of work. and, in
the proper season, attracts men and
women from towns - from tailoring on
starvaticn wages and sewing where it il dif,i-
cult 70 tell which is less material, the sewing
woman or her shadow thrown on the foor BY
a sputterinR tallow candle-tO the country.
How they live there may be seen BY any one
who cares to read the facts.
Annually three or four thousand choppers"
90 out to the Farnham district, bringing their
babies and older children Of both sexes with
latter to pick, and the former to
sprawl about and take care OF themselves
while their elders ore at work. After work is
over these people are penned in great barns
which at night are packed with men, women |
and children, who cook and Get their slight |
meals therein--when they cook anything for |
their only food is bread and cheese |
and then fall asleep-those who choose to |
do so. When the moonlight is shining down
upon the fields these barns become the scenes |
Of orgies which it would require the pen Of
an old debauched Roman poet to describe. |
This IL not the ease in all places, for in some
Of these barns only married people and chill
dfe1 are allowed, but the difference this
makes i not always very pereepibla Here
shildrsA grow Injured TO vise a. well as |
poverty, and are corrupted before they are
sven mature What effect this will have on |
English morals is q question the statesmen
will soon have to think about very seriously. |
1t present the life led at the hop-pickings is