The New York herald., 1879-09-11
BRITISH DEPRESSION.
Scotland's Fearful Aglicul-
tural Distress.
A NEW EMIGRATION SCHEME
England's Loss Estimated at
$2OO,OOO,OOO. :


LONDON, August 81 1879.
The continued prevalence of bad weather has
put the finishing touch to the farmers troubles.
The chorus of complaint has sweed to an unpre-
cedented height and those who. like the Home Sec
retary, still take optimist view Of the situation
few and far between. From east. from west.
from north and from south como dcplorable ac-
counts of ruined wheat crops. The general COM
plant is that the does not l and that where 1t
nils it does not ripen; and where there was chance
oft filling and ripening the late rains have CON-
pletely waterlogged it. The fate Of the harvest is
now sealed thing. There room to hope that
the farmers will escape with moderate losses.
For the bulk of them disaster is the only word to
rightly characterize their outlook Mr. Thomas c.
Scott, well known writer agricultural subjects,
puts the probable outcome of the corn crop at
third less than average yield. and this deficiency
he states, means loss OF f25,0O0.000 to the cult
vator. Against this there is set-of. On the con-
trary. wherever the farmer may turn he finds him
self the victim of adverse fortune. As in cereals
also in pulses serious damage has been DONE the
money loss under this latter head being estimated
at f3 600 00O Potatoes. too. bad crop. and the
calculation that the blight cannot cost the grow
ers less than ELS, 100000. Probably this figure is
considerably lower rather than over the mark, for
the reports that the potato disease is
ing. From Nottingham and other midland parts as
also from Norfolk. advices state that the blight is
spreading to most alarming extent. making its ap
pearance after the plants have been taken to the
market. Again, the partial failure of the
hop crop. Gays Mr. Scott, will involve
further sum of x1.25o.OOo. figure which
is also in all likelihood below the mark,
the blight in this crop also having rapidly
increased during the past week. In Kent some
IF fl Ma with 1iubf tha
loss on the under artificial and natural grasses
will be heavy. probably much ELS. 100000. Mr.
Scott describes the mangel, turnip and other root
crops late in growth and small in size and every
where mastered by weeds and in his opinion. it will
require long and specially fine autumn to bring
them up to half average crops Finally. he says
ION grass, though abundant. no live stock, except
dairy cows has this made profitable returns.
and 'there appears nothing wanting" observes Mr..
Scott "to complete tho ruin of the poorer class of
tenant farmers. especially in England aud Scotland
IN IRELAND AND SCOTLAND.
In Ireland. it is pleasing to be able to think. mat
ters in rather better condition. report from
Galway declares the prospect to have been greatly
frightened there. Farmers expect to commence
reaping in few days. The hay, which is all
saved, is an excellent crop. and turnips and man
gels in splendid condition. The same cannot be
said of potatoes. however, they having there also
been in many instances seriously blighted. Should
these ancipations be verified Ireland will have
grievance the less for the present. 1t is quite
otherwise with reference to Scotland, however.
There the bad season and other causes-and those
other causes great and multifarioushave led to
worse results than in the sister Kingdom. and the
result will be. afraid untold suifeting during
the coming winter. Whenever there is grievance
in Ireland we hear of it. The Irish have the most
ohhand way of calling attention to themselves and
their troubles. They simply shoot agent land
lord and the thing is done. Then, If there is
chance of attention tagging, they shoot another.
There are many arguments to be adduced in favor
OF this method or Keeping question alive, and
there are some. OF course that might be brought
against 1t. 1t cannot be denied however, that it
the desired effect Only the other day respectable
Irishman. and man Of position. said that the
der of the Earl OF Lctrim had had good effect by
terrifying the aristocrats and tnat two three
more ''exampes" made OF similar gentlemen this
not much agraran outrage as an act of
revenge for numerous heartless seductions) would
have the effect OF bringing about much needed
forms This, however. by the way.
DEPREssIoN In SCOTLAND.
The Scotchnial. fortunately, is not given to this
method OF getting his wrongs righted. He is pa
bring about rectifcation of all things. Still he
is beginning to think that in his respect the said
time is little dilatory and may need jogging. Any
how, matters getting head in SEQ land and
may expect some marked development OF opin-
ion there, and along with it some strong action.
For years past landowners have been gradually dis
possessing the people of almost foothold the
land. while counties that were formerly bloom
ing gardens have been turned into veritable wilder
nesses, over which man must tread without per-
mission. Former habitants have been crowded to
the large towns seaside villages there to seek
precarious existence fish and salt air. have be-
fore details of evictions and dopopuations that
would scarcely be ere ted and uld lead one
to believe that Scotch landowners had read
their beloved Scriptures backward-not ''rcplenish
the earth and suDdue 1t. but tie reverse. How
ever, of that some other time. Suffice to say that
the present moment there is vast number of
people unemployed in Glasgow and other towns and
an immense deal of consequent DISTRESS The other
night mass meeting took place ut the former, at
which strong statements were made regarding the
conduct OF the authorities in not assisting
OF work. many OF whom, it was said were starving.
procession was formed and marched through tho
principal streets of the city for the purpose of call
ing public attention TO their case. Divorced from
the land, these poor people are thoroughly depend
cnt the huctuations of trade. and when. at
present, depression exists. they starve.
THE ROYAL COMMISSION.
And yet tho members Of the government are inti-
mating, in their ex-paramcntary utterances, that
all has been done that could be done by the ap-
pontmont of q royal com mission bound not to
she real remedy for the existing state OF things. aud
to propose some palliative probably modified pro-
lection, that tna evils OF starvation may be ac-
centuated in time OF bad trade and unproductive
harvests. But the royal commissioners and sub
commissioners will by oonhno to them
the next two years the consideration
of agriculture in Great Britain and its disadvantages
There will be comn,ittees OF one and more sitting
and inquiring and drawing conclusions all the
three kingdons. 'rhe door has been opened, and
you will md 1t impossible to shut 1t again" IL
up for consideration yesterday Mt the Royal
Association. when Mr.. Shaw Lefcvre. great au-
thority the subject, pointed to fact which Mr..
Chaplin and others have altogether lost sight Of
namely, that events will not wait the issuing Of
the report of che commission. BY that time quite
fresh state of things will have Into existence
There Will De fresh Parliament for thing. aud
when one says that at the present time he says
great deal.
MR.. LnFKvnr's ADDRESS,.
Another remark OF Mr.. Lcfevre's IL worth quoting.
1t is view. referred to the thing III
the HERALD some months ago: but the idea has not
yet fully taken hold of the popular mind, especially
the bucolic section thereof. ..The low price of
food" he said, "has unquestionably been the chief
cause that the working classes have passed through
the period of commercial depression with little
general suffering. 1t has also been tho cause
that OF tine threo great classes which mako