River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-11-06
The Troubles in Great Britain.


They are having troublous times ia
the British Islands, and as yet there are
no signs of any change for the betteg.
The crop season in the United King
dom is near enough to its close to ena-
BILE farmers to calculate the general
results with accuracy. We have hereto
fore spoken of the bad wheat harvest,
but the latest accounts say that hay
crops, with all the root crops, hops, ETC.,
are also largely deficient; 20 per cent.
below an average yield is now given as
the amount of deficiency for all the
agricultural productions in the United
Kingdom for the crop season just clos
ing. This deficiency is believed to ag-
$3.50 100000, for the whole kingdom.
In addition TO all this the manufactur-
ing interests of the United Kingdom
are yet in about an equally bad eond3-
ton. As result of the great depres.
sion in the Lancashire cotton trade, it
is stated hat some of the largest pri-
vate firms have curtailed their produc-
ton to sucn an extent that about 5, J00t-
600 spindles are now stopped in Old
ham and its surroundings alone, and
the recent decision of the spinners in
reply to operatives, declining to with
draw the notice of five per cent. re-
duction in wages, and declining an in
terview, will have the effect OF stopping
all or nearly all the spindles in the dis
trict.
And the following from another dis
tirict:
The pauperism in town is nearly
four-fold what it was two years ago.
All these statement taken together
amount to an almost appalling account
as to the condition OF the agricultural
and general laboring portions of the
people of Great Britain. The failure
of the root crops in addition to that Of
the wheat and hay crops strikes the
farming interest of that whole country
with fearful force, as the root crops are
almost entirely depended upon for
keeping and fatting such live stock as
the farmers in that country produce. 1T
seems to be generally understood that
the farmers, who are nearly all renters,
will not be able to pay their rents and
taxes for the year, nor anything near
the amount that has been Cxacted Of
them.
In Ireland monster mass meetings
are being held, with view to the entire
reconstruction of the whole land sys-
tenn of that country; and it is now fear
ed that there will be more or less blood
shed before the trouble will end. in
the meantime a good many farmers,
where they can make arrangements 10
do so, are leaving the country and conl-
ing to the United States or Canada, and
there is likely to be large increase in
this kind of movement within the COM
ing year. Skilled mechanics and com
mon laborers are also coming over IN
considerable numbers. There is no
doubt but what large numbers OF these
people would now emigrate and gladly
too to this country if they had the
means to bring them over. According
to the whole present outlook these
troubles are deep rooted, and are like
" to be of lasting character. As the
American competition in the produce
ton Of all kinds of manufactured artl-
Giles as well will ia the nature of things
make it so from this time forward. We
do not write this in any spirit of exul-
tation, we are only giving the facts as
we see them exist, and because we feel
compelled to deal with them as public
journalists.-DroUers journal.