The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23
He Berates the English Government
for Its Indifference to Rural
Interests.
FARMERS WANT PROTECTION
THAT BEING IMPOSSIBLE OTHER RE-
LIEF Is SUGGESTED.
Reduction of Freight Rates and the
Establishment of n sMarket
Post" Suggested.

LONDON, Nov. Eff the English farmer
could mail his produce to the nearest mar
ket at minimum postage rates H. Rider
Haggard believes that one OF the most SER
ious obstacles to profitable farming IN Eng
land would be overcome Mr. Haggard
would have the English government inau-
gurate an agricultural parcel post designed
to carry anything from cabbages to hay,
freight charges to be paid in postage
stamps. the government to insure quick
collection and delivery by wagons, traction
engines or railroads, as might be best in
each locality.
This is the principal point in Mr.. Hag-
gard new. book on Rural England" just
published in London 1t is in two volumes
containing over one thousand pages, and
has taken the writer over two years of
hard work to produce. Rider Haggard is
best known in the United States as writer
of fiction, and, while he is still one of the
favorite authors with the English public,
he is equally well known in this country as
a panstaking investigator of agricultural
conditions. a writer on farming economies.
and the owner and operator OF 400 acres of
beautiful farming land, near buckingham,
I'm Norfolk.
There are forty counties In England.
Through twenty-six of these Mr.. Haggard
has travelled, accompanied by his secretary,
observing agricultural conditions and in
terviewing farmers and business men as
to their methods, and securing their ideas
as TO what must be done to put English
agriculture the list of profitable occu-
patiOns. His new book is record of dis
couragement. He finds the land owner and
the tenant equally hopeless to their pres
ent and future prospects. He finds them
all demanding system of protection, the
entire rural population being almost unit
in their denunciation of free trade With
the vast majority OF the voters living in
the cities. however. and being consumers
rather than producers, Mr.. Haggard aban-
dons protection as a practical suggestion
because he recognizes the impossibility of
securing 1t from the British people as a
whole. represented in their government.
The consumers of London, Liverpool, Bir-
mingham, Manchester and other large cities
would not for a moment allow a party to
remain in power which proposed to increase
the price OF food for the benefit of the
farmers OF the country. Mr.. Haggard finds
that many others agree with him in the be-
lief that the results of protection would be
beneficial to all classes of English people,
despairs of ever bringing the majority of
the people TO that point of view, and his
conclusion is justified by the tremendous
opposition already felt 10 the slight import
duty which now stands against grain and
flour.
FOR RELIEF OF ENGLISH FARMERS.
The author of Rural England" is mod
est in his claims as to the results Of his
q
TO have discovered any practical cure-all.
but he does suggest certain policies and in
situations which he believes might be adopt
ed by the English government to the great
advantage of English agriculture First
and foremost among the difficulties under
which the English farmer labors is the lack
of any attention on the part of railroads
TO the marketing of perishable farm prod
uce. the enormously high rates charged for
the transportation of all local freight. and
the lack OF railroad facilities for the ham
ding and storage of goods
Mr. Haggard does not propose that the
4 government should buy the railroads, as Is
advocated in some quarters, but he would
give the farmers the benefit of the Post
Office Department and let that department
4 market their produce for them. He believes
that a rate of postage could be established
which would make possible the marketing
of farm surplus from any part Of the coun-
try at such a rate as would leave a margin
Of profit TO the producers. He would have
Il this produce collected by postmen. the same
as mail is now collected. He proposes that
Il the government should run special trains to
carry this mail wherever it was found de-
sirable In country districts remote from
i he he traction
gines make the rounds of the countryside,
hauling wagonoads of produce to the near
est railroad point. He believes all this
could be done by the government at rate
which would be profitable to the farmer,
and yet produce no loss to the public treas
4 ury. Mr. Haggard does not believe, how
ever. even if this system were operated al
s loss. that there should be any complaint
for. as he says. no civilized country in the
world has done less than England in the
apportionment of the budget TO the agricul-
tural interests of the country.
Mr. Haggard says that the two years
wanderings through rural England and his
own interesting experience In the farming
OF land have left upon his mind the i'm
4 preston that English agriculture seemed
to be lighting against the mills of God
d Many circumstances combine to threaten
II with ruin. although as yet II is mol
actually ruined. OF these the chief is un-
checked foreign competition. Food can ot
produced more cheaply in foreign land:
than in Great Britain. and can even be de-
hyered in markets at a lower cost OF
carriage than must be incurred to dispatcf
II from one part Of rural England to an
other
MIR. HAGGARD'S VIEWS.
For foreign competition there Is but one
obvious remedy-that which Is used by al
lhe rest Of the world-protection. But OF
81 protection | repeat what I have already
said believe it TO be a chimera, even ar
impossibility. in Britain as Britain Is TO-
DAY What may happen in the future We
cannot tell. Probably after some nationa
disaster too dreadful TO contemplate
starving. broken-down generation may II,
70 protection 10 save them. but that houl
IS not with Us. and let US hope never wiz
be with US.
As It is. no one can travel about the iane
As have done. with open eyes and ears