Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-15
Strong Drift from Country ia
Town Arrested.
Old Conditions Disappsar-Risso Of Man.
ufactures and New Agrarian Sys-
tenn Caused the Exodus 70 the
Cities.


headquarters In Rome. italy. are usually
full Of important information. but are
not often notable for interest to the aver
age reader. In the current issue Of the
Bulletin" however, an article appears
which Is Of considerable general interest.
II tells how at length the drift from
the country to the cities that went on
for so long in he United Kingdom and
which was a source Of such alarming
forecasts and gloomy figures has now
been arrested, and how. in the last dec
ade. a return movement to che country
has been going on. Details in regard to
this reaction are promised in another is
sue Of the Bulletin" the article now
printed dealing with the original drift
from country to town.
Although in England and Wales, says
the writer, the tendency Of the popula-
ton OF the rural districts to migrate into
the towns or emigrate abroad presented
a serious problem during the latter part
Of the 10Th century. the expression rural
depopulation" can only be applied to this
movement In relative sense. The
population Of the rural districts did not
| actually decrease. the article goes on.
though It grew very slowly as compared
registration districts which In 1901 were
! purely rural. there were 932. 1854 inhabi-
tants in 1901: l.04,52s In 1851 and $780,
| 3l9 in 1901. Making a similar compari-
son for lC5 Of these districts which were
still purely rural In 1911. one finds that
the population rose from s52313 in 1901 to
l,217.54s in 1851 and 1.ao6.5sb In 1911,
Meanwhile the population of England
great rapidity and consequently the pro-
portion Of the population living in towns
was steadily becoming higher. In 1881
this proportion had already reached S7.9
per cent. and It rose to 70 per cent. in
1891. = per cent. In 1901. and IS per cent.
! in 1911. 1t will he noticed that the in
crease In this proportion between 1901
and 1911 was only an additional one per
cent as compared with much larger in
creases IN the two previous decades.
| 1t Is apparent. therefore. that during the
| period 1901-11 the rate Of increase In tho
rural districts can only have been slightly
| less than the rate Of increase In the urban
districts. The change which had taken
place Is, indeed somewhat remarka BILE.
Between 1891 and 1901 the population Of
| the rural districts increased by 20 per
cent. while the urban population In
creased by 1872 per cent Between 1901
and 1911 the rural population increased
by 10.2 per cent. while the rate OF In
crease Of the urban population declined
by Ill per cent. The rural depopulation
had been arrested.
II was not on account OF any diminu.
ton In the natural increase that the rural
population grew so slowly. since the birth
rate 10 higher and the mortality lower in
| the country than In the towns There
! was an actual exodus. a strong movement
Of population from the country to the
| towns or abroad.
The beginnings OF this exodus are to be
found in the Enclosures" which took
place IN the eighteenth and early nine
teenth century and completely revolution
lied the agrarian system In England. Sep
arAte inclosed holdings were substituted
for the old system Of open fields divided
into strips and common lands upon which
all the villagers enjoyed rights OF gras-
Ing cattle.
The process was greatly accelerated by
the Introduction of improved agricultural
methods, which could not have been sue
cessfully adopted on the scattered strips,
and by the high prices which prevailed
during the period Of the Napoleonic wars
When lands we're inclosed many villagers
were deprived Of grazing rights Of which
they could not adduce legal proof. and
others were obliged for want Of capital
or tempted by the high price Of land to
sell the holdings allotted to them. As a
result. a large proportion OF those who
had previously had rights In the land
became mere wage earning laborers.
1t was from this class that the risine
industries OF the towns drew their supply
Of labor. and. though as long as the prices
Of corn remained high there was a large
demand for agricultural labor. a move,
ment toward the town set in. When. a,
tho close OF the Napoleonic wars. the price
Of corn fell. the Industrial development,
became even more rapid. At the same
time tho demand for agricultural labor
tended to decrease. since meat-producti or
became more remunerative than cerea
growing. and much land was laid dowr
to grass.
1t was not. however. until toward 1876
that the prices of corn began to fall very
seriously. About this time, owing to the
development OF the means OF transport
the United States and other great corn
producing countries began to send enor
nous quantities Of grain to England
and prices rapidly dropped The CONVEX
sion OF arabic land into pasture became
accelerated and In the cultivation OF
cereals. machinery or seasonal labol
was largely substituted for the employ
} ment OF regular laborers. Following upor
foreign competition In corn. came the i'm
portation of frozen or chilled meat and
an agricultural crisis resulted in which
much land went out Of cultivation alto
gether.
The fluctuations In the fortunes o.
, agriculture inevitably reacted on the III
raj population. but other causes wer'
also at work to check its growth. Amoni
these the article mentions the disappear
ance Of manufactures from the rural dis
tricts owing to the Capitalization OF In
dustry In tho towns and the decline o.
milling and other industries subsidiary 4
agriculture. The rise In wages tended Il
reduce the amount of labor which th'
farmers could proftably employ while
| the spread OF education and tho genera
rise in the standard Of living produced
y discomfort with rural conditions. which
was aggravated by the dullness OF rura
life and the superior attractions Of tn
towns. Yet another cause of the exodus
has been a serious want OF proper hous
ing accommodation In the country dis
tricts.
Colonel Roosevelt has had rifle made
! for him in Genoa which costs $50