RUIN OF ENGLISH FARMERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1460, 19 January 1887, Page 3

RUIN OF ENGLISH FARMERS.

The aita of agricullura are •■m-tag the oldtftt fini grastest of hum m industries ; an \ m spii o of the «norm >us gi'oirth of our m uufdcturing bo >vUi> s, the expansion of our shipping and the world«w de spread tf out commerce, agrqoltuio ia still the moat important of o~r business enqagemtiiits Hi a pouplo It is, therefore, ail 'h*3 more serious that car farmer should be saft'frint; from Buoh a depro.iaioa as now hold 3 them ; n its grip. In I eland, P<irllam^nt has had to at p in to moda'ate the dlatre?a of agriculturo ; but m England, Sootland, and Wa^etbioga have not yet come to si deploraVl-) a pa<-a as to have necesnitated tuch action an took place m the sister isle a few years ago ; but thsre are ominous simiß on the horizon th*t worse things are corning on v) 3 than wo h-iVa y. t experianr-ed m the farming dis trict> ■ f Groat Britain, Though farmers are proverbially a grumbling c'sjjs, they are also a long-suffarii g body of men ; and it may well be th-tt the condition of 'hlrg^ i< not even worse than piopl-i have bo.iev'Hl <v than tho fa-ra«ra themselves havoa^at-d. Wo Imv3 lately hid intervhws wV\ a cjood nviny farmers in ] the hea t of South W.ilaß and Monm )uthahire, »nd th) revplations th<»y made of the adverse oiroum3fances wi'h which they had to c nleud are certainly start ling. Men rch" have spenf; thoir whole livea m the study and dai-y pyjcfclca of sgr'cu'tnro and stock-raisißg pursuits, and who add to their lengthened experience a full Bharo of natural shrewdness, are unable to keep ihem^elves above water m the preeont eea of competition.

." We cannot make enough tj pay the landl >rd and the parson," they Ray ; <( and bo all our patience, frugality, and hard work, laud us m heavy losses year by ye*r."

And as no man can live on hia losses, the money wh'ch they had inherited or perhaps caved m better timaa Jong ?ono by t'a now lost and the farmers mosfc of them have heavily overdrawn at their bankers.- " One caae'cime under our notice where a business-like, intelHo;en v , and energetic man has farmed 300, acres for ten years with a net result of a loss of

'" How much better.", pajs he, " if I had refrained from the hard work of I^bor altogether and' Hy^ed q'sietly and oomfo ifably 6n the Jpl6o per an.ncm whio,n I haye eatik. The' "difJacuHles vri^h w^'ch we farmers have to" c.on,tend at the present moianeot are many gnd insuperable J^abovors have beooma more costly, independent, and unreliable. They are only thinkicg of getting a deal to eat, too much to drink and smoke, and frequent holidays for a booze m the publiohouees or a jaunt to the nearest fair or markettown. Then, cereal oropß will not nay m the face of imported Uveadefaffa. ♦ few yeacs ago the''i?rftinh firmer was advised to turn his attention to tt->ok -rearing. This we did," aaya our informant, " and what is the retult I We laid a great, deal of land down m pasture and went m for stock, and now by reason of the comnititloa of imported animals, we' eahn'ofi'geC a remunerative plici tor onr horses, cattle,"o r sheep. The reoti, the tithes, and the taxes fall more heavily on us than ever. '.The landowner is often h^m-r eelf ma fix If ho is a wealthy m^n Y^o haa inher^tecr hia eaia^a u»jencurabered, |\e may be ab?e a.nd— vyhat is »ore"rr-willing to giye a robato of from 8Q to §0 PQi" cert on }he rental. If he has eomparatiyely re^eut'y bought the land at a high prlo.*, he will not bo willing 'o m.»k3a,oy qubatmtial redaction. And if lie h a m'Bcrly or a poor man, he will make no reduction except tuoh as may be aotual'y forced on him "

The conclusion of tha x?ho!a unVter appears t^o b.o t'alh ; Tnatwhi". n/'du'ty m rb^ufred to be paid on foreign imports, the prioeo British farmara obtain for their produce will hot pay them to oontinuo their avocation unlosla tha ooaaitions of lelnd tenure on vegards renf, tithea. &c , are enllrely altered. There Beema to be no other alternative. Of course there are even nr.w people with c, lit tie money enthusiasl'is enough to invest it m farminp, and who a.re ready \i take fa,vorab!ysitoa^e^ and 'attMctivo farms, B.i'.fc if men who baye made agrii ultyre tbp^r lifework cannqt m^ko it pay, what hope 1b there for ainaleuru } The tin^e ia fully come for th§ nation to face 'ho problem. Fariiaing is nqt, paying. On t}\B oontrary, good men and true,hearted women are being Impoverished and ruined by high rents Bnd tithes, coupled with low priced and foreign competition .~lionsQn Jfaym and Horfie.,