LADY STOUT AND THE CROFTERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 654, 3 November 1909, Page 8

LADY STOUT AND THE CROFTERS.

■'■.. Sir,—lt is: wbnderful-.to observe with what recklessness, , ' judging by the nature" of the , remarks, excerpted- by a contemporary- from. a ; letter purporting to-,come from. Lady!; Stout 1 while in Glasgow, the writer criticises the conditions obtaining .amongst, the ~Shetland Island • crofters as manifested , to, her-ibserya-

tio'ns. She takes; strong' exception to a condition evincing a state of affairs wherein the. women are enslaved to work in the fields and peat-pits_ while .the men folks are away' fishing. Thia in, her opinion is, a•■ practice '. in strict'contravention to the conditions engaged .by womenfolk,:in .other lands. , Undoubtedly,, but in making the :fnot and • does' not' eeem ; .to; realisj that there' is' 'in a.ineasure'a call for. etich. a'ppar-'. ently uncongenial-conditions, for do not circumstances in, a. degree control actions? That' being so, one. can offer an apology for the pioture 60 luridly depicted to us. Lady Stout's rash conclusions render it. incumbent on.: one, in .oxplanatioil for her; attitude,, to point out the _ factors: making "for. such" conditions.'" i: The nature'of .the Shetland soil'being: anything but suited-to.agricultural purpoßes renders.it. ■ necessary, for the men folk, .since' it does'.not present the means of livelihood,' to follow rthe "calling : of fishing. .'This industry^furnishes but ; a scant : . Hying, and in order to increase the ..family -income. ,the\good .woman' sets -to,. while her, husband is, away pursuing his calling, .with" an alacrity wprthy of the highest .commendation.,'; At the.peat,.pits and in -the 'fields,- i6he labours so that' 6he Imay ,by her .'industry.-contribute.:to',the scanty..-.earnings : coming'by her husband's efforts. Withal, the isuggesnons ■■'oppression; that arises , '• from •Lady.Stout's,remarks, it is.evident that, the 'peoplevthemielyes do , not recognise that.-they are over-burdened with. their lot. If it ■ were '.80, though they; are,a slow and inert,, but a :caloulatingi-people, they would as readily.,'as the oppressed ■in other parts of -the world search for a: means that would tend to ameliqr-' ate their, 10t..' The anxieties of the. average working'man here are more poignant- than ! those' of 'the peaceful,. contented, and vuncomplaining crofters of the, Shetland Islands. Anticipating your kindly favour,—l am, etc., : ->,,: -.■:' '. ■■-.". ,'.. : , ::. E. W. MILLAE.