Rural England.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 May 1910, Page 4

Rural England.

A VICAR'S COMMENTS

The tot of the agricultural labourer u best seen .in contrast with that o! tlho farmer (writes "A Vicar" in the London Doily News). My own parish is purely agricultural; so may God help mo to draw .the two pictures faithfully. 1 write in tho stillness of the Sunday night, after my three services—one of wliich was held m the Union Workhouse, where most of the inmates are farm labourers, or the aged widows of farm labourers. Tho lifo of a -fanner seems to be the only calling outside of n profession which a gentleman in tho country may follow without losing casfte. 'A gentlenmn farmer ' is an expression which all understand. Perhaps it is for this reason that no one expects a farmer to amass a fortune. To keep a clear head for business; to bo blessed wMi a healthy appetite; to have his table spread (at prime cost) with viands which professional men often count luxuries; to carry his gun, and bring down his quarry right nnd left; to ridfl to hounds, and have some of the country squires envying him his mount; to go once or twice a week <to market, and there meet his soxtol equals; to send his daughters ito a boarding-school and have them (taught two or three praiseworthy accomplishments; to dress them becomingly for the numerous balls which take place about Christmas-time; to take part in local government in serving a 9 a county councillor, a guardian, or a churchwarden; to "die in a good old age," and leave his capital not loss than when he began to farm— this is tli« utmost worldly success for which a farmer can hope, and more than most farmers ever atifcaui. I know a little of farming by practical experience. My brother and -I between us could "plough and sow, and reap and mow," with anyone within ten miles round, in spite of our being ablo.to write the magic letters of B.A. nnd M.A. after our names. Our father was (in respect to acreage) the. largest farmer in the two parishes of which he was vicar. He used to say, "A farmer's life is a glorious life; you have no master but tho AlmigMy." Ho unsuccessfully encouraged us to become fanners rather than clergymen. But to return to a farmer's life. Knowing how much farmers havo to pay for rent, rates, itaxes, licenses, manures, seeds, machinery, implements, shoeing, veterinary attendiance, and insurance against siceidents, and knowing what is expected of a fanner's family in their style and manner of living, I sorneJbimes Wonder that they have anything at all left for wages. Their greatest trial is their uncertainty as to their gain or loss at tho end of ftHio year. A few hours' rain, or a few days' sunshine, make a difference to one farmer of more than £100. Another trial is that > the work on a farm is never finished. For these reasons farmers aro accustomed to say, " Tho labourer is better off than the farmer." Certainly the labourer knows when it will be time to leave work, and knows what his wages will be at the end of the week.

Here in Herefordshire—the most beautiful and one of the most favoured of agricultural countries in England—-wages aro higher Mian in some other parts of England with which lam acquainted. In my own immediate neighbourhod 14s a week, with a, cottage and potato ground rent free, ara considered high wages for an agricultural labourer. For one who receives more, there are probaibly half a dozen who receive less. I know steady, able-bodied men who received but 13s a week without any cottage. They are good workmen, but perhaps somewhat slow. The rent of a cotlfaago runs from Is Gd to 3s a iweeik,/ according to i'ts size and state of repair. Cowmen and waggoners command the best wages, but they have to work at least a a hour a day longer, for the dumb brutes must bo fed. For an ordinary labourer the hours of work are generally from six in the morning till six at night, if daylight permits. To -compensate for the shorter hours, it is the custom of some farmers >to reduce the wages during the winter months, but 1

believe that the majority mercifully recognise the fact that more food is needed in winiter !iime to keep up tho heat of the body.

Ts it to be wondered at if some of the young men are not very keen to attond an improvement class alt night, or even to borrow a book from the village library? By the time ho has got home and washed it will be about 7 o'clock. Then he has his supper, smokes tho pipe of peace, and goes to bed. In the morning the Head of tho family rises, lights the fire, has his breakfast, and (as often as not) takes his wife up a cup of tea. Then he goes forth in -time to get to his labour by six o'clock. In hay and corn harvest h'o will have to work overtime, sometimes till nine o'clock or laiter at nigJft, and tor this he will receive a welcome bonus of a pound or thirty shillings—about enough (thank God) to cover his contribution to Ims benefit club for medical attendance and sick pay. When another "little stranger" comes—and some of them have a habit oif coming very often—or if his wife and children are. ill, the charge for medical attendance will have to come out of his wages. Whatever happens, the children will havo to bo decently dressed, for they havo to go to school until they are thirteen or fourteen. Boots will bo a very heavy i'tem_ of expense, the man's boots especially, for is ho not a " clod-hopper P ! ' And if his feet get wet once too often, his wife may be a widow and his children orphans.

I do not think it Is necessary in our estimate to make and stated allowance for clothes for the man or for his wife; for the suit in which he was married will serve him for best for .nearly the rest of liis life, and the clothes which she threw aside when siie was a prettty girl in a. lady's service will look quite nice and resroectaole 'for many years to come. But alter making tho necessary allowance for what I have mentioned—boots, children's clothing, dictors' bills and casual expenses, the labourer's wife will be a fortunaite woman who has as much as 10s a week on the average, to spend in food, in addition to the produce of the garden.

Farm labourers have exceptionally large families, for they live an openair life, and they know nothing of luxuries. Under tiliese healthy conditoions abnormal fecundity may ibe stimulated by lack of sufficient food. Think of the housewife who has to keep the breadwinner in good working order, and .to satisfy her own a,nd (let me say) three children's appetites on 10s a week! If she ■allows her husband (on account of his long hours) foivr 'meals a day, and herself and Ithe children three, and if she lays out for them on the average a penny a piece lor each meal, she will htove exactly foiirpence over at the end of the week to provide something extra for tho Sunday's dinner.

But T have quite forspltten the coa-1 for cooking it, and for keeping the house warm during the winter; and also the penny for the Sundiay collection, which' some of the (poor do not forget, We will drr&w a;

veil over the families with isx or eight children, mil under the ago for leaving school—l have such in. my parish--or where the man's wages are. as low as 13s a week, without any cottage. God and the poor themselves alom> know what -tfhey must suffer. Were . ilt) not that many farmers' wives have kiwi hearts, and "do good by straith," it would faro badly with some of these little onfcs.