The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28

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inter all 1t Ia not nero sharpness that has mad
great Britain what she l.. 1t Ia the thews an,
s'heWs OF her Mons which arc the foundation q
everything. and tho even, healthy minds tina
dwell in healthy bodies. Take the peopn
away from their natural breeding and CROWN,
grounds. thereby sapping their health AM
strength In cities such as nature never I'm
tended to be the permanent homes Of men
una tne decay OF this country becomes only
question OF time. In this matter. as in mani
olhers. ancient Rome has a lesson to teach us
That is why this question OF the depopulatior
OF the country is OF national interest"
when 1t came to the diflc,lt question nj
remedies MIR. Haggard had no ready-made
pahacea to oirer. some OF his negative sug.
eestlohs. however. were thoroughly sensible
flrst' Will say that, in my humble opinion,
what u speaker in this Chamber n month or
TWO ago very aptly called sugar plum cures are
no cures at all. though In certain Instances they
may be palliatives. and. after all. palliutives are
not TO be desp!sed. ! mean that such things ms
better housing. more technical education. more
rural holidays. such as flower shows and
ploughing matches. more coffee rooms,
draughts. &c. will never suffice to keep the
laborer on the land unless you nrc able to raise
MS wages. No. II you offered him n house
with hot and cold water laid on throughout
ana III with electric light. and took him
10 ana from his work In n motor car and had a
cohoe stall erected on every farm and brought
MIN to n lecture three times a week, II would
not persuade him to accept lbs. or lts, n week
when he knows.o or believes. that by transfer
ring himself and his family to two or three
sdualid rooms In the dinRy courts Of a great
town he can earn 20s. or 25s.. for. as | said be-
lore. wages and nothing but wages. to speak
broadly. Is at the bottom Of this movement
from the country to the towns.
Another remedy that in my oninion Is no
remedy 10 the semi-socialistic Legislation that
Is advocated by some. BY this | mean lcgisla-
tion OF which the real II not tho os.ensible OIL
)ect Is to better the position OF the lnbo-ing
clnsscs out OF the pockets OF the owners m !
occupicrs OF land and the allied sections Of
society. 10y forcing them to build houses that
cannot possibly be rcmuncrative. Mt their own
cost. or to become responsible for anything
and everything that may harpcn TO n man in
their employ. however entirely II may tc his
own iault. 1t is no remedy. as I think. for this
reason-thnt you cannot get blood out OF u
stone. The land. or at least our eastern coun-
ties land. can bear no more burdens. As il
Is. with wheat at from 24s. 70 2Js. q quar-
ter. 1t does not pay. and another straw or
two on the cnmcl's back will break It.
Governments. it is probable. would like to solve
the trouble in this fashion. namely, bv the
spoiiasion OF certain classes for the benefit Of
other classes, for the Governments naturally
attack the weak that j.. those wto have few
votcs-and offer them up MS a sacrifice TO those
who have many votes and from whom they
horet to win support. But though the agricu'-
tural interest. with its S.OOO,OOO .. people wh"
are connected with II. is. | SUPPOSE because q
its suicidal divisions. its timidity. and its want
o. political organization. absolutely the weak
act In tho | ~ $50. 70 l-. Ali III
protection OF it's utter poverty-so II money l..
wanted for more experiments in popular lcgis-
lation 1t will have to he got elsewhere.
Then what is there that could help the land
and. therefore, help the lahorer; ! venture to
suggest one OF two things. Very stringent
measures which would make II impossible for
the farmer to be defraudcd by the sale as his
produce Of TINT which he never grew: the
equalization Of rates and taxation on real and
personal property. thereby le-sening the bur
dens that now fall on the land and the making
1t impossible in fact as well as in name for car
riers TO transport foreign goods ut cheaper
rates than thcy grant to British produce. But
/ do not go into this subject at length, for
after all IL Is not our province TO decide
on the remedies. I suggest that what We
have to do is TO call the attention Of those in
authority To n certain grave state Of affairs and
ask them TO deal with it. for n Government is
immeasurably more clever and full OF ideas
than all the Chambers Of Agriculture in the
country put together can be. Moreover. II hns
the power Of Transmitting its ideas into som
practical and useful action. For my part l do
not suppose that the ngriculturist. for its mere
love OF him. would be likely to get anything
from this or any other Government. since il is
our common experience that when he asks for
bread he receives n stone, and I may add thu.
80 l. st,,- nt Z . ttnt -N~-~ L.. -.
thrown at his head"
The natural feeling OF English people toward
their Queen has become so completely one OF
reverent affection tlnt the inevitable dis
cordant note Of ten years ago whenever the
nation was asked by tho Government to max
n handsome gift to the sovereign is now no
longer heard. Even the sprinkling OF extreme
enonie Of the monarchy. who are always
heard AZ the Radical end Of political life. pru-
IDENTIFY say nothing now. and the giving and
receiving are gone through with the unaffected
case OF people who have long learned TO know
and esteem each other. 1t was so at Pembroke
this week when the magnificent new royal
yacht Victoria and Albert was launched bv the
Duchess OF York and presented by tho nation
to the Queen. The Duchess took the bottle OF
wine in both hands. and, swinging it against
Wv '''N' ~ ''''N 80 - ~ ~ 80" "'''''
the good red win" ran down the cleaning sides
OF the yacht. wished n success to the Victoria
and Albert and all who sail in her"
The new boat bears the name that has been
lorne in turn by all the principal royal yachts
launched during the Queens reign. The first
was built for the Queen and Prince Albert just
after their marriage. aud was a wedding
present from the nation. When she came to
the throne all the royal yachts were sailing
vessels. but they were also strongly armed for
those days. The principal yacht at that
period was the Royal George, now the Oldest
yacht in the world. for she was launched at
Deptford in 1917. and still lies at Portsmouth.
a depot ship for the crews Of the royal yachts
when they are under repair or refttinR. In n
contemporary account OF the launch we are
told: THE vessel is one Of the most elegant
ever seen. The cabin doors are Of mahogany.
with gilt mouldinGs. and the windows Of plate
glass. Ornamental devices in abundance are
placed in various par. :. all highly gilt. and
pro lucing n superb appearance"
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