Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-09-27
EUROPEAN FARM LABORERS.
More Enviable Than Town Mechanics
ana Factory Operatives.

English Letter in Country Gentle
man: The reports OF the assistant
commissioners to the Royal commits.
sion on labor form very Interesting
rending; albeit the view taken is far
too rose colorcd, at least In respect
to the laborrr, In some districts OF the
country. That there Is not so great n
decrease In the number of people en-
ploycd on farms as was az one fine
expected, the fun analysis Of the last
census returns now makes clear. 1t
Is evident enough, however, that AIT
IL chiefly aged men who are left for
neld work; the younger che sincw and
muscle of the Shires) are betnkiug
themselves ut far too great rate to
our large towns, This may be Il mis-
take on their part by the lure of higher
money wages, and by the inducements
or seeing llfe" instead of sharing In
u perennial dullness all the year round
As to remuneration, the reports for
Great Britain prove that the agricult-
ural laborcr Is much better off than he
Is commonly supposed to he, and that
ms is the case in some counties where
lhc ordinary weekly wages are among
the lowest. Wherever his average
earnings exceed or reach 81 a week
his lot Is far more cnviable one than
that of the ordinary town mechanic
or factory operative; aud even where
they barely reach 81 1t Is in many re-
Spccts superior to that of the unSkilled
town workman His HE is spent in
the open air and among the beauties
of nature instead OF in a stutIy or
drughty workshop or dusty factory
his dwelling is usually hralthily situ-
aied, rs compared with one placed in
Il sitting court or suualid back street;
MS work Is healthy aud varied, while
that of the townSman Is often injurious
ana monotonous; and his food is as
abundant as that of his town brother,
and more wholesome although it may
include fewer luXuries. 1t has been
well said that the great want OF the
agricultural lahorcr Is n career" and
II Is true that his chance of rising 10
II higher social level is often small;
but In many parts of the country the
II, mbcr of lahorcrS who have become
farmers is much greater than outsiders
suppose, and the present facilities for
acquiring land In small portions and
gradually working up to the position
of Il greater holding. are greater than
they have been for Il century or more.
The chief difficulty NOW is. not that of
getting land, but that Of making 1t
pay; and while the able, thrifty and
industrious man still has good chance
OF getting ON In certain branches OF
agriculture or horticulture, there is II
serious risk In the modern craze for
creating farmers by act OF parliament,
aud setting them up in business on
capital provided by the state, 1t Is
only those who are capable of rising
10y their own efforts for whom there
Is any assurance of success In the pre-.
cartouS undertaking Of farming on n
large scale, and no greater mistake
could he made than that OF creating II
peasant-proprictary hurdrued with
debt in such times rs these | do not
conceal from MYSELF that there Is am
pie room for the new development;
we paid TO other lands over $5lO,O00.-
0O0 last year for meat, butter, rggS
and general farm aud garden produce,
some considerable portion of which
could have been provided ut home
| Bui, for all that there is no very
great prospect for the rank and file
OF the agricultural lahorcrs; is dulness
continues. and II gives little scope for
I that laying by for old AGE which IS
the duty of every well-ronductcd cid
/ zen In this respect lie Is no worse
I of than the unskillcd town worker.
aud 1t Is sad TO find that one third OF
the entire population. over e., were
last year III receipt of indoor Or Of