New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-04
rNaLLsH EARMERs TROUBLES.

ENGLISH FARMERS TROUBLES
The alarm among the English farmers about
the sharp competition of American cereals and
American meat with their products in their own
markets appears to have subsidized somewhat mt
all events, we co not read as much about it in
the English papers as we did few months ago.
Now and then, however, someone breaches the
question anew in gathering Of farmers, with
an earnestness that shows that, although the
danger may not be as great rs was thought
when the excitement was at its height, 1t Is
nevertheless a real one. For example, Mr.. Clare
Sewell Read, in an address before the Norfolk
Chamber of Agriculture on the 9th of April,
said that the farmers could not live under the
present system even if relieved of all local tax
alton unless rents were reduced otherwise
q than by percentages he declared, separa-
ton must eventually take place between land
= lord and tenant which, we take IT, can
mean but one of two things: either the tenant
must throw up his lease and emigrate to some
country where land is cheap and there are no
rents TO pay, OF he must get rid of his landlord
by a social revolution that viii give the owner
ship of the soil to the men who live and labor
upon it, Mr. Read made the gloomy prediction
that England would soon become absorbed by
America, and that, Notwithstanding their vast
resources, the English people would soon be
come, after the manner Of the Dutch, mere
huckstcrs, OF perhaps their island would be only
the harbor Of the world.
This prophet of evil thought that the agricul-
tnral distress in Great Britain was the outcome
of free trade-by which we suppose he meant
particularly, free trade in grain and provisions
Ii is a short sighted view of the situation, how
ever. to imagine that the troubles OF the British
farmer can be rcmcdicd by heavy taxes on
American corn and cattle. Such measure
might bring short-liyed prosperity 10 the agri-
cultural interest, but the end would be that rs
food became dcarcr the cost of manufactured
articles would increase, and England, already
close pressed by France, Belgium and the
United States in mnny lines of manufacturing
industry, would suffer a loss Of large part OF
her foreign trade. The mechanics and opera
tiycs. deprived Of work. would then be thrown
back upon the land, and the condition of the
country would be worse than before.
Il is not easy to see how the problem Of high
land rents and successful competition with
American food-products grown on land that
NAYS no rent. is To be worked out 10y the English
farmer. lie must pay every year TO landlord
"a larger sum per acre in the form OF rent than
the cost Of good unimproyed Iowa farm. The
American farmer is very moderately taxed and
has no one to support but his own family; the
English farmer pays high taxes and helps sup
port in luxury the family Of his landlord. Be
sides, hc must keep up his land 10y the constant
application of expensive manurcs, while the
farmer on our Western prairics cultlvatcs "a soil
which nature has stored with fertile properties
sufficient to last a lifetime The only thing
which fayors the Englshman j, the great dis
lance of our whcat-Gelds and cattle-mnges
from Liverpool and London but competition
has 80 reduced the cost of transportation that
Kansas beef and Dakota wheat can be sold IN
the English markets close down to, if not actn-
ally below. the cost of production in the best
! counties Of England. The English themselves,
II is but fair 10 add, are largely instrumental IN
! bringing about this state of things for the
rivalry of their steamship lines has greatly
reduced the cost of ocean carriage. Our har-
| bors swarm with huge iron craft from the
! Mcr,cy. the Clyde. the Thames and the Severn.
| 4 year seldom passes without the establishment
of one or two new steam lines from Ncw-l ORR
to some English or Scotch port, and M the busy
season the regular lines encounter competition
/ from steamships flying the British has that
come here from all parts of tina world for %
chance to get a profitable cargo of grain and
provisions. In his distress the British farmer
must remember that hc should saddle large
share of the blame for the calamity of low
price. for his products upon the British ship
owner
/ But what shall the tenant OF AN English farm
do when hc finds hc cannot pay hl- rent ana
make q living from bis holding some writers
who are ready with shallow advice tell him tn
! stop raising beef and grain and 20 into the
| dairy business lu this business however hc
| has always had to compete with the Dutch
whose moist lpnd is good for little but grazing
J and now come American butter and cheese Ia
say nothing of American olcomar-arlnc, by the
/ ,hipload to undcr-ci him. Emigration Is "a
| remedy only in individual cases. The whole
agricultural population of the British Islands
cannot pack mp and take ship for America OF
/ Australia The real and lasting remedy Is II
would seem, only to be- looked for in "a recon
! srruclion of society SO AS to make it less top
heavy. The basis of land and of laborine, pro-
ducng population Is no longer broad enough to
support i'm idcnc,s and luxury that costly and
colossal nsttution, the British Aristocracy.
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