The Oxford Observer. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY APRIL 28th, 1894.

Oxford Observer, Volume V, Issue V, 28 April 1894, Page 2

The Oxford Observer. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY APRIL 28th, 1894.

Whilst the labour problem remains such a sore puzzle, a most necessary reform required to be adopted m this country at : the present time is tho establishment of a sort of people's banks, m the rural districts. With a government sincere m their efforts to enable the agricultural labourers and others, out of employment, to acquire portions of land for agricultural purposes the natural and , necessary accompaniment should be t&e provision of means to help them to cultivate their land profitably by the purchase of all requirements necessary for the proper working of such. If the squatters aiid grt -it run-holders took any intereit m the unemployed (the agricultural labourers m particular) they would endeay : our to establish a sort of rural or co-opei. ative bank' ' iii ' their district, for the purpose of advancing small sums of money; to the labourers on the security o£ their;, holdings. .. Ttieye are those who might consider' the'

suggestions impracticable. When we find these so-called banks so successful m much poorer countries than our own. ( as far as production is concerned ) such as Germany and Italy, it is not very creditable to find that We are so far behind m adopting the improvements of the day. The foundation of the first popular bank m Italy began with the modest capital £30, less than thirty years ago. This particular bank now employs 130 clerks and other officials and has -more than 17,000 members.

Land banks are scattered throught -the extent of Germany, and the borrowers pay back theii loans with the greatest regularity and honesty. Such an important question o ught to attract the lead ers of of co-operative boards and the managers of Friendly Societies who are m a specially favourable positions to give the subject effect. It is satisfactory to notice that il.' England, under the Friendly Societies Act, an association has been formed for the purpose of assisting the establishment of agricultural credit Societies, from which small occupiers, ruraltradesmen and farmers may obtain loans ancl credit.

The capital is to be raised by the contributions of members who will accept the principle of " common liability." Bad, as things, undoubtedly 'are, -causing the ranks of the unemployed to swell m numbers, the agricultural labourers m New Zealand are m clover compared to some of their more unfortunate fellow labourers m England. As an illustration the following extract from a correspondent's letter ;to the •' British Farmers," | news-paper. He illustrates his opinion by the experience of his father, who for sixty years worked' for a squire-like farmer and his family m Cambridgeshire up till July last, when he was given a week's notice. The poor old man was thus unceremoniously cast out penniless upon the World after this period of prolonged service. During all these years his holidays amounted to ' one month, all told. He was obliged to work every day of the week including Sunday and his wages came only to 12/- a week. This case, some twenty or thirty years ago was by no means an isoluted one, but since the agricultural labourers have combined m a strong union, the wages of the agricultural labourers m most of the agricultural countries range from 12/ to 18/ per week. It can hardly be credited with us m this favoured colony that the l squire farmer and his family ir. Cambridgeshire were considered pious dissenters. The son of the old dismissed labourer also worked for them for some time. When, the young man was leaving to try and better his' position m a neighbouring town,. they warned him that although he might earn, more money, he would lose a great deal, from a ' ' religious " point of view, m leaving them. Beallv. Hypocrisy and Pharisdism could not f urthergp.