The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-11-09


permanently check the rising prosper
ltS oI-that country. 1t was soon found
that the great land owners could not
rely upon repressive measures alone
to solve their labor problems. Some
thing must be done to redress the
grievances and to improve the condi-
tlon. of the agricultural population.
Keller funds were organized in 64
counties and boroughs to aid temper
arlly disabled Workmen. Public prizes
and diplomas were offered to laborers
who were faithful to their masters.
something was also done to bright
en-. the monotony Of the agricultural
-laborer's life, and strengthen the ties
between the laborers tnd employers.
At the suggestion of the Minister Of
Agriculture, an attempt was made to
revive the harvest feast which brought
| the farmer and his laborer together,
"orklngmen's clubs, libraries, friend
~ and cooperative societies were en-
couraged by the government A pop
ulaf weekly paper, printed in seven
ulnerent languages, was started for
the benefit Of agricultural laborers
and as a means Of agricultural educa-
ton. bill for insurance against ac-
cldents and old age for the benefit of
agricultural laborers provided that if
laDorer. loses more than weeks time
snail receive in addition to the exI
penseS or doctor and medicine, a sum
amounting to about twenty-five cents
day for sixty days. In case of death
: or an agricultural laborer, his family
receives a sum amounting to some
thing between $40 and $50.
In Italy the Socialistic movement
among the agricultural classes. has
/ taken a somewhat different course
For one thing, it was not confined
merely to the poorest class, namely.
thosc laDorers who live in the villages
ard go at certain seasons to assisr
III the work on the farms, but extend
ed to the small prODrietors also and
those who rented land In many cases
I the large estates in Italy are not man.
! aged as III Hungary by the proprietor,
bnt middlemen and overseers. who
pay acertain amount of rent to the
proprietor and then sublet to tenants.
oonetlmes, particularly in Southern
Italy, lands are sublet again a second
! and third time.
In many cases, the terms upon
which the land was held and worked
! by the small farmer, were terribly
| oppressive, even in Northern Italv.
where conditions are said to be in
comparably better than in the South
J Although the peasants in Northern
italy were normally given their free
dom in 1893, their condition, until q
lew years ago, has been described bv
one who was himself a large land
proprietor as, "a little better than
II they were slaves" In addition to
the high rents, the tenant farmer
was compelled to furnish the over
seer with certain number of chick
ems and eggs, and certain amount of
peaches, nuts, figs, hemp and tax. in
proportion to the amount of land he
rented.
The oVerseer claimed, also, Just as
the overload did in the days of feuda1-
! ism, the rights to the labor of the
peasant and his ox-cart for a certain
part OF every year His children were
expected to work as servants in his
household al nominal price. The
oVerseer sold the crop of the tenant
farmer, and, after deducting all that
was coming to him, for rent and Other.
charges, returned the remainder to
the tenant former as his share of the
years work.
N one case where, as a result Of
the revolt of his tenants, the middle
man was driven out, the tenant farm
er, under the direction of the Social
ISL leaders undertook to rent the land
clrectly from the land owners. It
was found that the middle man had
been appropriating not less than for
ty-hVe. per cent, of the profits, which,
under the new arrangement went d.
rectly INTO the hands OF the man Who
titled the soil.
FOR a number of years there have
existed among the small farmers. nun
erouS friendly societies for mutual
ana or various kinds. After the So
clallsts began to turn their attention
to the agricultural population. tbcv
succeeded in gaining leadership ju
lheae societies and used them as q
means of encouraging agricultural
strikes. 1t was from these same Sc
cetles also that they recruited the
members OF these organizations Of
farn laborers and tenants which have
attempted to form large estates on =
cooperative oasis. BY this means. Tho
small farmer has been able to do
away with the middleman and still
retain the advantages which result.
particularly in harvesting and maxi
eung the crops, Of conducting the op-
erations on large scale.
in recent years, cooperative organ
Hation Of all kinds have multiplied
AMONG Tho cnlnll = G NJ