New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-12
RURAL ENGLAND
4 Feeble Experiment in Social
Reform.

ii reform IS that involving return 10 the
,.,s The small holdings and sllotments act,
.sr. has been in operation for eight months.
s..,.-ad 10 encourage English and Welsh
- IN overcrowded industrial towns 20
.,re .heir occupation and TO live IN the coun-
In also offers fresh tnducement TO agr1-
.,.,,-s1 lsborers TO remain where they are and
= ,o., ont OF the towns. where employment Is
y xcsrce and uncertain. II embodies the
.-.--,v,le Of compulsory purchase and hiring OF
r. county snd district councils for redistri-
- s-,org trustworthy occupants and ten
ana provides for the repayment OF losses
So -. --e-ations from the Treasury. The
- :. Agriculture and Fisheries has exer-
= .--;sio- over the measures adopted by
-,..-,,,ls and has proceeded with British eau
- - ,o-.e-vstisTn. The counties OF Eng
- 90 Wales have been divided between two
,-,,tssioners each Of whom is served py your
.,a.+o-s- circular letters. treasury minutes
.,.+yo-s for the sale or letting or small mold
,,ornnf,lsory proceedings against land
.-s have been sent to the councils: and a
- has been issued on the preliminary stages
- +4,s new social enterprise The councils have
--osn.ed local committees to ascertain the oe-
IND FOR agricultural holdings and to exercise
discretion in putting the act IN operation
w.. srperlrnent has been carried far enough
r--0T-n
-, =, Yearly all the shires. The applications
-, civ months have exceeded 100000 acres
$50 land The aggregate is about equal to
= ,.-5e5 estates of either the Duke Of Rich
90 Of the Marques of Bresdalbane; but
= .,r-,assed by the holdings OF the largest land
,.-s ~ the kingdou-the Duke Of Buccleuch.
- as0aao acres. and the Duke Of Sutherland,
4.b g5s 90 acres. The number OF spph-
.,.,,s IS 1900, and in the great majority Of
- .,s-s ts the capital required for adequate
-,I-3z-a-ion OF the land They do not want to
.,r-chsse the holdings but merely 10 hire them
rrbsv do not ask for houses or farm buildings
nd there is no difficulty respecting plant or
,,,inr,ert since nearly all the applicants already
live within reach Of the desired holdings and oe-
- esc,lities for charging their means OF Hv-
az So noticeable has been the disposition OF
.-iIsre +radesnen and carriers TO take advan-
50. ~ the act that some OF the council COM
-f+tsss have rejected their applications, and the
7Y,o-5 ~ Agriculture and Fisheries has been
1893 n declare that such exclusions are con-
49, n the letter ard spirit Of the legislation
e-,au holdings are not intended exclusively for
agricultural laborers but for applicants generally
who can produce proof that they have the
money. experience and energy required for sys-
senate cultivation Of the land They are not
.ro7-ed 70 ask for particular pieces Of land and
to decline suitable holdings OF aIotments within
reasonable distances Of their homes.
While & large demand for land has been dis
flassd bv these preliminary surveys and tentative
VIBRATIONS there is no evidence that there Is
,-v movement q workers from overcrowded
.ovns hack to the soil. Employment may De
,y,satisfacrorv in the towns, but men and women
.bo have become accustomed 70 life IN tene-
-Dents and alleys have no disposition TO take
n "
borders OF large estates. They have companion
Khip where they are whether the times are good
ar had and recoE against the solitude Of rural
England the dulness Of existence with no meat
and little bread no holidays and interminable,
5eadenng toll The appeal addressed 10 the ar
dent trade unionist, Higgins, in Mrs. GHskeTs
North and South" Influences the artisan against
sharing the labors Of tiIlers OF the soil The
hard spade work robs their brain OF life, the
sameness OF their toll deadens their imagination;
fhey don't care 10 meet 10 talk over thoughts
and specuations. even of the weakest, widest
kind after their work is done; they go home
irutishly tired. poor creatures! caring for MOTH
ing but food and rest" Regeneration by con-
tact with the soil is e promising theme for
novelist OF playwright but IL lacks attractive
power for workers in towns They prefer the
hustle excitement and oornpanionship Of their
sfeld by the prospect Of alIotments or small
holdings on easy terms. They know that farm
fol is more laborious than their own trades. and
that the wages are lower and the hours longer.
The new act. instead Of draining OF the sur
Plus population Of overcrovded towns into the
rural districts, Is operating q relief measure
for agricultural laborers and villagers. How
effective il viii be cannot yet be determined,
since there has been much delay in placing
applicants in possession OF holdings and in &C
qGirins land from large owners Only few
purchases have been approved even provision
ally, and the basis for calculating rentals and
many other practical details are not settled A
considerable enlargement OF village auotments
seems fairly certain, and material increase In
agricultural operations ought 10 follow the de-
rand for 10000 acres OF good, arabic ground
or pasturage The better class OF agricultural
laborers and village tradesnen seem TO be in
the way OF improving their lot with the help of
the local councils. A general revival Of farm
ing Industries is not foreshadoEed by the ap
piications Of 1900 village workers for more
land al low rentals. That result cannot be an
hcipated until agriculture is made more profit
soe oy the legislation promised by the tariff
Fsformers. Something more than q makeshift
Joy converting Hodge into q tenant on council
land Is needed before the prosperity OF rural
England csn be restored and the beautiful vii
iage churches filed with worshippers, as in the
oiosn time. He may contrive 10 exc out bet
icy living under the act than he has been doing,
p1t his lot VIII remain at best toilsome and IN
promising lie is without the capital for pur-
CHASING = farm OF any considerable size, and
agriculture in England has been doomed under
Free Trade since Cobdens time TO destructive
competition from America and the colonies.
Ihe main trouble with legislative schemes Of
shls sort Is the conservative spirit In which they
ere carried out Councils are armed. It is true,
With compulsory powers Of taking land either