Telegram-herald., 1890-11-23

have become practically extinct.
Therefore what the Highland estate
owners have gained by game. the Low
land farmers have immeQsurably more
than lost. The latter have no pity for
the crOiter on his own account, but
they know n direct, hard-headed
way that he and his collie dog are the
best shepherds IN the world. So these
and some other pressing economic
forces are gradually blending the
"crofter question" and the Gland ques-
ton" IN Scotland. and providing an
economic question which may at last
reach that form of legislation which
vii. break down the now invisible vet
iniiexiole walls of these great Highland
estates. and cause the repeopling of
their grand mOuntaln-sides and glens.
But that cau hardly come to the grave,
sad eyes OF the crCfteT who now lives.
Aad % j. this man whose condition, en-
vir0nnIcnt and hOme-life, | have set
out % describe.
Whether he lives IN the same cabin
where his fOrefathers lived before him,
or ; one who has been removed"
from the old home to some new and
worthless patch OF ground for the larg-
er liberty OF deer, he Is never the pos
SCISSOR, as tenant, OF more than thirty
acres OF land, while nine -tenths of the
entire class do not occupy more than
FIVE. Tn some instances, he has An
"OUtrun" or common grazing" with
others where from twenty TO thirty
sheep and two or three cows may be
grazed. and when this IS SO, he Is con-
s..f ~4N a f,e
tlis condition Is the rarest exception;
aud ordinarily his miserable patch of
soil, of from, say, two TO SIX acres,
scarcely affords HIM the bJrest means
of livelihood For this tiny croft he
pays an average rental of e6 pounds
under the new fair rent" system, and
under the old crack rent regime ne
tried TO paw. but never paid, from el0
% gl5 and $50 pounds. With the GER
tain uncertainties OF Highland climate
no mind, no one can for a moment
believe 10 possible for the crOfter
TO pay even the reduced rent
and sustain himself and family from
the results of ms labor upon the soil
alone. / believe 10 would be a truthful
assertion that the croft IN no single in
stance ever sustained tho crotter. It
will not sustain hum under the "fair
rent" system of today. The landlord
now gets nearly the utmost limit Of
What the SOL tself can produce. The
sal vRtion Of the Crofter can only be at
tanned by providing him with larger
crofts. 80 that the labor of himself and
family can be concentrated where
most profitable results can obtain: or
rentals tor the beggsrly patch ne IS
forced % exist upon must be reduced
90 almost a nominal sum. prosper
Gus pPassntry IS impossible where the
energies Of the family are dissipstsd IN
half dozen different vocauons to SIN
r.iy pay rent that tnstch may bs kept
over the heads of the very old and very
young Of the family.
Briefly. that - the condition of the
crofter, and it is az that is, or ever has
been. toe matter with him. To merely
exist he has been forced into becoming
fisher. kelp- gathersr. poachsr: anything
to i've. lis wife becomes fisher. gut
ter" or dresser Of herrings at the sea
rde mnssls- -gathersr, or does sny tor
fH0uS labor possible 20 sdd pound or
shilling % the store for meeting the In-
axorsb.e demand Of the rent The
daughters are forced from home into
sarv ce. aud their altered condition and
needs deprive them Of both their love
a the H I'll and home ard the power
to bestow more than pIttanCe upon lts
keeping The sons become gNles 20
H zh .snd suortsmen With a few weeks
81 dem0Tslgnz luKlry and ten months
ef 8ieness and unrest. or be etter. though
s-l cad. are crosaed 20 TIE towns 80
further mpovsr al labor tusres OF per
haQs n the end best. reach Censds, or
tne states. where. f0r yssrs the 6ttle
sawed beyond bare dvns. hnds "a
F8v back to the crofteT father. are
essntgs IL 90 ths and ord for rent. As
rial. 30 oliast son msrries and ~
waIns az aonse. He seldom hss tbe ~
c.inston CT the uesns - hive OF
ard set up Housekeeping On another
creft. snd besides it = the inaeT p .
rolCy ct II gAsaad laadlorde 90 restrict,