The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-19
LABOR IN ENGLAND.
AN OBSERVERS OPINION ABOUT
ITS SITUATION.

The Land Question at the Root of Much
How Rural People Nav he Riveted Il
] tho Solicit Every Man Have His Hous'
and Garden.
| return TO the topic 10 which ! recently
alluded. There can be no doubt that labo
questions are Of the greatest possible i'm
portance. Every wcck-almOst every dal
disputes are arising. The air seem
heavy with them. But, after all, as ! said
the agilators will not be able 10 materially
get beyond the law Of supply and demand
in labor. Apart from modification of the
ratio existing between these two quantities
changes-cven minor changes result,
of contested dispute, and usually obtained
AT a greater cost than they are worth-car
only be eyanescent. In the long run thai
law is bound 10 be tht regulator Of thest
things. IL cannot be successfully with
stood.
Now. | pointed out va iOus other modes
! of dealing with this matter Of wages, which
have. / believe. the merit Of being almost
the orly ones that can really be helpful in
the economic improvement of the working
classes. They each tend 10 the alteration
of the ratio, and therefore 10 the supply O
labor as compared with the demand for IT
Possibly some of my readers thought thai
my remedies were slow ones. Well, my
| friends. sure ones often are. But doubt d
they are as slow as some may think them
TO be. In the first place, they are not in
tended to be taken separately. If merely
taken one nj time, the Greek calend'
might fiily be thought about; but If they ar,
taken abreast-if they are pushed through
with cOnsummate cnergy-if working mer
would only come TO the conclusion tha
nothing in the world is 10 stand before OF
| take the place OF them-ii il could only be
seen that other things may De desirable
| but that these are necessary the worl
would soon be done, and the change would
soon take place.
KIND OF FULL NEEDED.
1t is not only the long pull and the strone
pull that is needed, but it is also the pul
altogether that is required. such pull
would soon work wonders, and would as
tonish many that are merely accustomed e
the now slow and pOnderOus iOg-trot Of pub
lie reform Of the present day. The rate
being altered. the competition on the pari
of men for masters would be less, and the
need on the part Of masters for men would
be more. The result would indeed be gO
rious. and more Of the spOils of production
would inevitably fall TO the pr0letariai
than now does. Men would then know
something Of the Joys and pleasures Of life
as well as its drudgery and pain. am
sure desiderate such time as this
| may not see cyc-tO-eye with incipieni
revolutionary ideas-deas which are not
only impossible. but which could only be
pr0pagated and prosecuted amid the great
est confusion and palma confusion in
which the lasorer would be almost certain.
bested and defeated. to 20 10 the Wall-a
confusion in which the possibilities Of future
reform would inevitably be put of for years
to come: and a confusion, too, i'm which
safe and sound-capital. the very soul Of
business. would. without doubt. secrete it.
self from the uses Of society. ! say | may
not see eye-tO-eye with proposals such as
these, but do see the necessity Of reform
and of greater wealth-difiusion- the abs0-
lutte need OfOur time-and with all my might
desire 20 promote il. And the proposals /
make. if taken earnestly and seriously and
zen bloc" rather than seratim, would be
prolific Of success. | feel that the sugges-
lions. if properly pcrseyercd with. 10 quote
wcll-knOwn lines
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings ON your head.
TIE ROOT OF MUCH.
But for the sake Of exposition and enforce
ment let me 10 some extent repeat them.
The first point may be summed up as the
land question. This is the root of much.
Year By year the produce of this country
is growing smaller and unbcautilully less.
Men indigenous 10 the soil are unl0rtu-
nately made to starye-till they come 70
the tOwns-up0n the soil. This j. a terrible
evil. Ii is largely because of the too great
accumulation of land i'm the hands 0t The
few rather than the many. The few 90 not
make use Of il. II is too much for their
energies, ard presently il becomes for them
has now too largely become "a mere
plaything. By the system men are driven
from it rather than cast upon H.. ] do not
know whether YOU remember Goldsmith Is
suggestive lines in the deserted Village.
Except that they should refer 10 large
portions of home territory. they are
exceedingly expressive Of the desOlatiOn 10
which ! refer. lie SAYS:
sweet smiling village. lOyeliest Of the lawn,
Thy sports are He'd, and all thy charms with
drawn:
Amidst thy bowers the tyrants hand is seen,
And desOlatiOn saddens all thy green:
O'e only master gIasps The whole domain
And half tillage stinis thy smiling plain.
But chOked with sedges. works It's weary
way.
Along the gades, a solitary guest
The Understanding bttern guards It's nest
Amidst thy desert walks the lapwing flics.
And tires their echoes with UNMARRIED cries.
sunk are thy bowers in shapclcss ruin al
And the long grass O'eriops tine mouidciiu-
wall:
And trembling, shrinking from the spoilers
hand.
Far. far away. thy children leave the land
RIVETED TO THE SOIL.
In our four Kingdoms all this is too large
Is the case to-day. Yet it j. perfectly pos
sible by the principle of self-interest, for
the people OF the soil to be riyetcd 10 the
soil. and 10 be made 10 stay whore nature
has first placed them. Gardens, allOtments,
peasant uroprietaries without risk 10 the
state Perfectly pOssible-are the simple
innnns II mo nmnlnNll nlnr sIel II nnn-