The morning call., 1890-11-23

friends in Canada or the States could fur
nish them the same, emlgrated to America.
The remainder were huddled in vile cabins
along the seaShore, and forced to escape
actual starvation by gathering kelp and mus
sells, this poor shift being finally denied
them, or in Drawing the dangers OF the sea
in fishing, mode of life TO which they were
as much stranger as your own tendefly
cared-for child. There is not to be found
in all history more scandaions page Oh III,
genious and supreme human cruelty. ana
yet it was set down by economic writers OF
the time as a great benefit to society at
large, as it cost the noble houses OF out1er'
land-Statford over 81, 0000 coo, ana I'D Ihe ull-
biased history of Scottish ana EDgIsh
gazeteers and encyclopedias as hotapie
Improvement of the Highlands
The same kind of improvements inter-
mittently remained in vogue. though on
lesser scale, under sanction OF those old
Scottish land laws up to very recent date,
in Banff. Eign. Nairn, Inverness, CalthnesS,
Ross and Argyll shires and in the Hebrides.
If q landlord wished to transform his
great holdings into sheep-walks or game pre-
serves it was soon bruited about that the dis
trict was " congested." Then crofters were
cleared out entirely or Summarlly removed to
wretched patches of uncutIvated land, To be-
gin anew life Of starvation under increased
penalties of rental burdens and environ
ment. Aside from these heartless cruel
ties 1t seems as though the most deylllsn III
genuitieS in eXtortionS and humiIlatlons
were also imposed. After the new croft was
improved, at the termination of the usual
nineteen-year sleaSe, additional rental was
demanded. If not paid the croft was rack
rented, or leased to new tenant. The
terrified cTofter, rather thar become home
less. attempted the new burden, struggled
along under increasing arrears, and was
finally evieted, securing no compensation
t,.,tn = ont ia q n
tered the presence Of the factor or agent
with his hat on, his hands in his pockets, or
left the door open he was fined.
THE RENT OF EVERY TENANT
On an estate has been raised because the
first tenant calling with his money was
few moments late. Sons on attaining their
majority could only remain upon the estate
on tie written consent OF the proprietor
Crofters were liable TO prosecution for using
any road or fOot-path not prescribed by the
proprietor. An entire page of this paper
might be filed with truthful recount of
similar tyrannies and grievances. But or
ganiZed agitation in behalf of the cTofter,
similar TO that adopted by the Land League
for Ireland, at last secured the concession Of
a royal commission of inquiry into the con-
diti0n of the Highlands. Although, from the
lear of repriSalS by landlords and factors,
not ore-half the wrongs Of these people
were mace known, a condition of things
b-7Al
country 1t must also be borne in mind that
the constitution of that commission was es-
Sentially conservative. But these disclosures
had SalutarY effect. lu 1886 Parliament
passed what is popularity known AS The
Crofters' Act" This fixes, by royal COM
mission whose members travel from point to
point rece wing evidence and making adju-
dica;lons, what are called ." lair rents, to
which both proprietor and crofter-tenant
are bound, in ali cases Of crOfters paying all
annual rental of $50 or less. The commits
sion has also power to deal with arrears.
The terrible odds against which these
helpless people for more than century
fought for mere existence is clearly shown
by the outcome OF the annual proceedings OF
this Crofters' Commission. In July OF the
present year on the estate CT keiss, near
Wick, the crofterS secured an average re-
duction of "a per cent, while 76 per cent of
their arrears were Cancelled. In the island
of StT0ma, lying in the Pentland Firth, 0p-
pOSite John o Greats house, the same re-
ductOn and cancellation were made. On
one estate in Caitnness rent reductions
have been as great as so per
cent, while 90 per cent of arrears have
been cancelled. Perhaps one-half of the
entire territory Of the northern and west
ern Highlands has been already adjudi-
Gated upon by the commission. On an
average fair rents" have been established
It a reduction of 10 per cent. The infamous
been illustrated and partially atoned for by
the commission in an absolute cancellation
of more than one-f0urth of existing arrears,
and reduction or cancellation OF fully 70
per cent of the remainder, a far greater
good has also been accomplished. Under the
Crofter's Act, Poor Donald is to-day
pretty nearly free man.
Under the old conditions he could never
pay his rent. 1T was not expected he
would" a factor confded to me. He was
more manageable when you could hint OF
notice and removal" In other words, land
lords, while certainly rapacous for
THE LAST FARTHING
That could be pinched out of the crofter, in
cold blood actually calculated upon certain
percentage of arrears piiing up against the
terrified rrofter, so that all slavish COM
mandS were quickly assented to and addi-
tional burdens were imposed without pro-
test. Outrages under this form of duress
were countless But under the Crcfter's
Act the crofter is absolutely independent OF
proprietor or factor as long as he pays the
lair rent fixed by the commission. He
may vote rs he pleaseS, pay his rent with his
hat on, his children may remain at home, or
even marry, without the proprictOr's writ
ten consent and, marvel of land-law prog
reSs, he may worship at the Established, the
Free, or at Catholic Church, without the
vengeance OF a bigot master overtaking him.
All this, in degree, is hopeful and good.
late. They possess many of the noblest
characteristics OF the noble Scotch race.
Their home-life, of which shall speak III
the next article. and their social better
ment. barely possible under new although
wholly inadequate conditions, would seem
TO give no good ground for encouragement.
There are too few of them. Those who re-
main are huddled by propretors into crofter
settlements and there restricted from the full
development of their kindly instincts and adj
mirable energies by miserably insufficient
areas of land. In brief. the landlord class
practically extirpated the crofter class be-
fore they would permit the enactment of
laws to protect the latter. 1t was like
specific law against specific murder. after
the killing. Over fve-sixtbS of the entire
area of the northern and western Scottish
Highlands are now in sheep-walks or game
preserves and principally the latter. | can
take you across Scotland, through the shires
of Inverness and Ross, from Beauty to
Strome and you may climb every mountain
peak between, without your being able 20
count two-score crOfter tilers of the soil A
land has become desolate indeed when its
roads and by-paths are transformed into
paths for deer and courses for hounds, and
the backened walls Of once happy homes
into lairs for foxes and wolves.
rCOpDrighL EDGAR L. WAKEMAS.