Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-05-22

QlInlInSnllS tue CITY popuIdtloH dHu
resources.
The Present Condition of
England.
The English papers of late date are
full of discussions and communications
regarding the agricultural depression.
All the evils darkly prophesied at the
repeal Of the corn laws in 1S47, and
STAYED off more than thirty years by the
unexpected influx of gold from Califor-
MIA and Australia, are about to break
loose, say the respondent ones, on the
present generation. On the other hand,
it is contended that the extreme bright
ness of the prosperity of 1872 and 1878
makes the present gloom appear darker
than it really is. All agree that Eng
land is suffering at present from four
causes, viz: three deficient harveSts: the
"hard times" in Russia, America and
the East, which have broken up import
ant markets for her manufactures; the
development of American industry and
agricultural production; and the i'm
mense sums lost by her richer and mid
die classes in Turkish, Egyptian and all
kinds Of foreign loans. With regard to
the high tide of prosperity now ebbing
it is asserted that in twenty years, viz.
from 1856 to 1875, the increase of the
realized wealth of the country was
|S12, 2,O00,000,O00, and that the material
comfort of the working classes has enor-
mously increased during that period.
Much as is still said about her pauper-
ism, only % persons in a thousand re-
ceived parish relief in 1877, while in
1870 was AZ to the thousand. The agri-
cultural class is still-in spite Of the
louder clamor of the operative CLASSIFY
far the largest part of the population of
Great Britain and Ireland. The annual
value of the produce of the soil in rea-
sonably good year is estimated at 81 ,3O0,-
100000. During the past three years
there has been a loss of 25 per cent. in
this estimate, making loss to the Eng
lish farmer Tin three years. of one thou
sand millions of dollars (e2OO, 900, ,OOO.)
Besides this it calculated that five hun
dred millions of dollars (e10O0O0,OOO)
have been sunk in worthless or even
mischievous foreign loans. 1t is the
pressure of these losses especially upon
the middle and agricultural classes
which has curtailed the great home
market of the manufacturer, and the ne
cessity of sending so much money abroad
to pay for food has still further impov-
erished the entire country. Under the
pressure of these difficulties all sorts OF
schemes are proposed, notably reduc.
tion in rents of from 10 to 20 per cent
| to take effect at midsummer. The land
| lords retaliate that it is the increased
scale of living among the farming class
that is in the main in fault, the want OF
the old-fashioned economy and attention
to detail. They complain that foreign
wines have taken the place of home.
brewed in farmhouse hospitality, and
that young men ride thoroughbreds to
cover instead Of holding the plow and
feeding the threshing machine. One
correspondent Of the Times, large pro-
vision merchant in London, writes that
every week thousands of pounds sterl-
ing are sent into France for fresh butter
alone, and that fresh butter commands
six cents a pound more than English
butter. In cheese, he says, the English
farmer cannot compete with the Ameri-
can in cheapness, and advises, him.
therefore, to turn his attention to the
higher grades of cheese, warning him
that the Stilton of his forefathers is fast
being replaced by Gorgonzola from tia
ly and RoQuefort from France. "Would
it not be better" he asks, "for English
farmers to put their shoulders to the
wheel instead Of crying out for protec.
tion and reciprocity, which would soor
ruin the country?" Another says-ne
doubt, with truth-that to secure crops
in spite of rain and rust requires in.
creased expenditure, and that the farm
er has no longer the money to lay out
having lost his accumlations during the
past five years. Reduced rents, too, it is
urged, would diminish agricultural pro.
duction by debarring improvements
made by landlords on the lands of ten
ant farmers. Laborers' wages have ris
en- so per cent in the past ten years, but
not the laborers' income. Acts Of Par
Lament forbidding the employment oi
children and making education compul
sorry have cut off very important addi
tion to the family resources, and howev
er salutary the laws may be, their opera
tion must be calculated for when esti
mating the agricultural laborer. Doubt
less the effect of hard times and de
creasing prosperity will have the effec
of giving prominence to the question Of
land tenure. Parliaments of landlord.
have framed laws whose tendency was
to aggrandize the landed proprietors, ,ant
it is time that the rights of the masses
should acquire dominant influence
! Bait. American.