Improvement in the Labourer’s Lot

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6751, 4 February 1892, Page 3

Improvement in the Labourer’s Lot

Addressing a gathering of rural delegatee the other day Mr Gladstone in a few well choaen words contrasted the former with the present condition of the rural labourers, and spoke as follows“ lam going only to read to you a few lines which are copied from a stone now existing in the park at Hawarden. The immediate occasion of the carving of this stone was (he rebuilding of a mill; but, for some reason or other, and I certainly can’t regret it, there were inscribed upon the stone these remarkable words, which anyone may verify by reference to the stone any moment The appearance of the stono is Just like the headstone of a grave, and the inscription begins, * Trust in God for bread and to the king for protection and Just oe. This mill was built in the year 1767.' Then come the remarkable words, ' Wheat was this year at 9s, barley at 5s 6d a bushel. Luxury was at a great height and charity extensive, but the poor wore starved, riotous and hanged.’— (Shame ) Now, prey bear in mind that is not meant as an inflammatory condition. _ This mill is a mill close to the house in which we live, belonging to the property. It was meant, I believe, as an honest description of the state of things 5 and observe this, it is not speaking of what are called the dangerous classes, but speaks of the poor. That meant the mass of the people, and the description given to me of them is that luxury above them was at a great height, that charity also was extensive ; but, speaking of the body of them, the characterise Uses were three—that they were starving, that in consequence of their being starved, and no one can wonder at it, they were riotous, ond that the only euro for rioting wae that they were hung. (Shame.) Well, I come down from 1767 to 1812. I was attending a dinner in 1850, privately given to a body of miners who were about to open a colliery, and this dinner was attended by a very old man, and a very remarkable old man who had worked in the collieries of the district 40 years before. The period to which he refers was the period of 1812, and that man made one of the most remarkable speeches I had ever heard. He described the change which he had lived to see in the condition of the people, which in that district, I think, is rather favourable than otherwise; and ho described that it was in 1812. I believe (though it eeems now almost incredible, I think I have seen it verified from public sources) wheat was at the enormous price of 20s a bushel; five times over, gentlemen, what, not at the present moment, because it baa risen a little, but what for several years you have paid for the staff of life 5 and potatoes—the other principal element of their subsistence - potatoes wore at a correspondmg price.” At the same time the wages of miners were lls a week, and those of farm labourers 9s. Mr Gladstone stated that in 1856 ho was travelling with the doctor of a parish in Suffolk, who told him, ‘‘l assure you, sir, on the absolute ground of my medical experience, that of the whole labouring population of the parish there is not a man, a woman or a child who has food sufficient for the maintenance of full health.” Mr Gladstone then admitted that there was a great improve ment in the position of the labourers of to cUy, and he believed that with their present political power they would attain ail the objects they had in view.

Amusements.