THE ENGLISH LABOUR COMMISSION.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5142, 15 May 1891, Page 4

THE ENGLISH LABOUR COMMISSION.

" The real work of the commission," says Mr Mann. " should be clearly to set forth the most practical modes of steadying any employment ; practical proposals for enabling workers to procure a regular income. Labor troubles are now taking place with increasing frequency all over the country, directly becsubu incomes aro insecure. Constant employment m order to secure continuity of income, is what is required. This is the one bwrrien of ou' complaint ; regular work with regular wages, m order that food, clothing and other commodities shall be always procurable, and a commission made up of persons who believe this impossible had better not lit." Mr Mann thinks the allotment system might be extended. "It is true that select committees have sat and reported upon the advantages of small holdings, and that a bill ia now before the House of Commons to enable labourers to obtain small holdings by the payment of onefourth of the value and interest upon the remainder, but land is of small value unless there is some capital with which to work it, and to call upon labourers to pay one-fourth of the value as well as to provide capital to work it is ludicrous. It is true that a small section of farm labourers have, by means of an allotment, been able to supplement their wages so that they have a few pounds put by them, but the great army, 750,000 m number, have had no Buch luck. By proper culture alien land under the allotment system is producing as much as 50 per cent., more than similar land m the same neighbourhood under farmers. The present land system is a failure. One hundred millions sterling a year is sent away to other countries for the supply of food stuffs for the people of these islands, and our own food producers are permittee -i starve. Such utter incompetence was uever before exhibited ; it is sufficient to maka every Britisher blush for shame ai the very thought of it. It is for the commission to point out, the quickest way to remedy this serious evil. It would appear to be m the direction of at once extending the sphere of local government, so that district village or parish councils shall be established all over the country, with power to compel tbe Bale of land at proper market prices to the local authority, to be let by theloeal authority to the labourers as allotments and small holdiuga at fair rent, with fixity of tenure." Theae views may not commend themselves to political economists, but they represent the feelings of a very large section of the British workmen, and these workmen have votes with which they can givo practical effect to their theories. A writer m the Standard calcu lttes that a labourer with a capitol of £60 might make a profit of 15s a week out of an allotment of 5 acres.