The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1905-09-13
Farm Worker or CitU
Clerk.
Blu Prot. James Long, of the Unlversltu of
oxford.

oxford.
There are two questions involved
in this question, both of which men
as whole regard as of primary
importance. Yet am afraid that
when it becomes necessary to de-
eide between them most young men
would select the occupation which
promised he higher wages and, as
they suppose, the greater comfcr'.
Health to the young is matter
of minor Importance. Youth all
most invariably looks forward to
age with some degree of certainty
and is prepared to discount what,
could it see with the eyes of old
men, 1t would sacrifice almost all
to retain.
Young men will not learn from
the experience of others; they pre-
fer to buy it.
Briefly, let me say at once that
the average clerk, could he realize
the situation, would select the rural
workers life instead Of his own
not that he need live on the lines
of the piowman, for, although it is
true that on the land man can
only master or servant, the SER
want can il three days find many
positions of real comfort, value and
responsibility, and it is always in
his COVER, if he goes to work the
right way, to make start for him
self and eventually 10 occupy or
even to own considerable area of
lane.
"it re man7 c'er who are
clerks by force of circumstances
and who possess gifts which under
good conditions would enable them
TO achieve distinct success in some
other industry, including that of
land culture.
The country, if it promises a
man small pay, is liberal in its nat
ural gifts. Cozy homes with gar
dens and allotments are often at
tainable at very low rents, and a
plot of land in the hands of an in
dustrious and intelligent man adds
materially to limited income.
1t not only provides him with the
medium for producing fruit and
vegetables, but honey, eggs, poul-
try, bacon and milk. The cnltiva
tion Of his garden and allotment
and this live stock furnish him
with the necessary experience for
a future when he acquires the little
farm which he is always hoping to
occupy.
What, in the meantime, is the
position Of the clerk? l speak of
those Of the humble order, whose
education fits them more for the
routine work of the pen than those
who aspire to more lucrative posi-
tions which are presented bv banks,
insurance companies and merchants
Of less ordinary type. If l am
not mistaken, the clerk must dress
to please the employer and live
within easy reach of his office, thus
taking upon himself responsible
ty for rent and rates which is be
yond mis- means.
His weekly expenses include the
cost of rail or tramway car, and at
least one daily meal away from his
own table. His family must, in his
judgment, live nd dress up to his
position, and as that position is
generally exalted beyond what is
warranted, his pecuniary resources
are always strained, even though he
is not in a chronic state of lndebt-
edness. The life of the ill-paid
clerk cannot be a very happy one
although there are exceptions-it
must. indeed. be incomparahly less
enjoy able than that of a well-paid
farm hand, who holds no self-elect-
ed position in society, who does not
find it incumbent to dress his fam
lily well, who is content with plain
fare and who has at all times the
privilege of extracting enjoyment