Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-22
BRITISH LABOR
How the Work OF the farm II PesfarA.
81 II England.

How the Work Of the Farm - PeSfarm'
81 In Englaad.
The forman of the farm was descrio-
ed by his employer as q man OF high
principle, who had been with him
twenty-eight years. Perhaps / should
say MIR. Thompson had been with the
foreman twenty-eight years, for when
a farm changes hands the laborers
by choice remain on the place. AS
MIR. T. said: "When q man has nice
comfortable place, q cottage and other
fixtures, he does not want to move"
What a contrast to us restless Yankees!
Four generations Of the formau's fam
ily have worked for Mr.. Thompson,
beginning with the grandfather, and
it is his great grandson who Is driving
the horses in the reaper.
All the land now hold on your honors cs'
tate w
Is the same that my grandfather titled.
1t is quite probable that living thus
on one spot limits the ideas. In near
hamlet [ called on an old pair of q
more well-to-do class, who spoke in the
Sussex dialect, add still used the old
style of ckoning Cor their rent days.
As new style of reckoning was intro
duced In 1852, may say that they
were in this matter only 100 years be-
hind the time.
As to the pay of the agricultural la
borer, Mr.. Thompson's foreman earns
81 or s. weekly, and an extra pound
every quarter, but is not boarded. Em-
ployment, however, is found for him
In the winter as well as summer, the
open winters o. this region differing
from those of Pennsylvania. AT Mr..
Ford's am told that the plowmen get
about 1915 weekly, or Is shillings, and
their rent, and the shepherd about IL
shillings, but he has to work every day
in the week. When the land Is heavy
here, they generally plow with from
three to five horses in single line, and
must, therefore, have two men, called
the carter and his mate. To their ami
mails they Use old Sussex cries, such
as, "Mather wool" or "Come hither,
wilt thou" The hours OF labor are
moderate, men going out to work about
:. even i'm summer, and coming In
about half.past ) in the evening. But
during harvest they 90 to work at D
i'm the msrning and work as
long as they can see, stopping only tor
break fast dinner, and afternoon bait"
or lunch. During the harvest month,
August, they receive double wages, or
sometimes the farmer simply pays -
extra for the month.
Is the labor intelligent? Twenty
eight years ago, when Mr.. Thompson
came TO his farm in the downs, he
thinks that there was not man on
the place who could read fiuently; now
every house takes a paper. Education
in England is now compulsory, and
when the laborer canread and vote we
shall doubtless cease to hear OF lodge
and his master" Mr.. Thompson's
foreman "Of high principle" has not a
vote because he does not occupy a
house paying n rent of El2 a year. In
borougks all householders have votes
Mr.. Thompson says that rs the fore.
man does not drink or Use tobacco, he
has 10 tax to pay for the support Of the
government, excepting that on tea.
What is his pecuniary status: with
his high character, with his having
perhaps lived all his life on this one
estate, what has he accumulated?
Probably he has not laid by anything;
he has not even Joined one Of the "ben-
| fit societies. common among laboring
men. In his old age he is entitled to
relief from the parish; to accept it,
says Mr.. Thompson, Is no disgrace. Ii
| is his share of the wealth of England.