Millionairs in the Country.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13520, 15 February 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

Millionairs in the Country.

••THK 111,1) yKDEI! CMANGETII." d'.y Lady Violet (in.-ville in Home I'apcr). Owing to social causes and financial depRM-iion. a great transformation has taken place ill the conditions of country life. Many of the old nobility and c.iunt.ry ' gentlemen, since the lowering of rent.-, and the decay of agriculture, find thcuiselvi s unable to live on their estates, and. iin many eases-, have been forced lo let or sell their castles and proper! i; s to millionaire, who have none of tin- fernicr's interest or connection with the land. Their object in, obtaining mansions, with fine parks, lovely gardens, and great sporting advantages-, has been purely pleasure, and the gratification of entertaining their friends. They possess no. tradiliors. no especial love of the country, no inherited -sense of the duties- and responsibilities of landlords. They dimply bring to their ii-jw sphere unlimited wealth and a conviction that riches are power. Many of them, indi ed. are Amcricais with lia/.y iileas of what country life really means, with no knowledge of lh:? conditions of the labourer, the farmer, or the squire. They often trample rough-shod ove.r the prejudices of country folk, who ale" prejudiced, rightly or wrongly, against any change, and whose idiosyncrasies it is advisable, if one wishes lo live pleasantly in accord with one's surroundings, to .•study and regard with consummate tact. But here the initial difference at once proclaims its-elf. The millionaire does not. want intimacy or friendship with his neighbours: Jie wants freedom for himself and his friends, boundless luxury, which his money supplies, and for the rest, lie objects to claims or duties*. His ideal is a big house, filled with all that, art and riches can supply, unlimited sport, and only so much land as is necessary for his amusement. BETTER SI UK OF FEUDALISM. The first thing the millionaire docs is to dixmis the old servants, servants who remained on in the days nf the poorer landlords-, pensioned or employed on sonickind of pretext, till they died. Work was found for septuagenarians, for th" maimed, and the halt, for those who had worked faithfully and felt they had a. claim on their master's indulgence in old age. Old-age pensions were not clamoured for then, for they were given cheerfully by the employers. On some estates, the" list of pensions formed a yen- considerable item in the expenses, and. as everybody knows, annuitants live for ever. Then, in case of illne-ri. the labourers- and tenants wre looked after, their wages paid, even when unable to work, their families visited, their wives and children helped. Many little odd jobs were found for them, many little sources of gain, such as needlework, beekeeping, blackberry picking, wood gathering etc. Bu'- in the new order of things i.'d people an' nor wanted, the grey h«ir. the bowed shoulders are despised. The root idea of the millionaire is to get- as much as he can out of a man in his youth, then dismiss- him, cast him to the workhouse or the winds—there is no .sentiment about- him. no easy indulgence, no pity. He prides himself on looking at things from the business point of view. THE NEWLY-RICH.

It is such doings on the part of rich proprietors- in Scotland that have caused much ill feeling and hatred of deerstalking, the preservation of game and sport in general. 'The habits of the millionaire, too, excite 'disapproval; the fact that he never attends church or chapel, plays cards on Sunday, <md keeps his servants busier on that day than on tiny other, that he scours the country in.Jiis motor car, covering the quiet clouds of dust, spattering the' congregation with mud as they areileaving tlw sacred edifice, and creating around hU6 an atmosphere of huriy, bustle and'discomfort.

The enormous 'batttns now the fashion, which fill the tender heart with regret- and contempt, and have become the necessary concomitiaut of country life, never originated with the old class of landlord, who was content to trudge over the moors and stubble behind his dogs, and spend a happy harmless day in the open, a day which gave pleasant employment, :•■> beaters, to the boys and young men of the parish, but is now voted intolerably dull. The squire enjoyed it, the people enjoyed it, a certain number of rabbits, pheasants, and hares found their way into the cottages and formed the' supper of the old. Farmers now shoot their rabbns, but no pheasants or partridges come lo the poor. The, rich man sells his game, iarely ever bestowing a brace or so of birds on the companions of hit' sport. That is businuis. In the old days everybody looked forward to Ihe autumn covert-shooting, or a day in the stubble among the partridges, the vicar, who shouldered his gun with the rest, the neighbours, and the working men. Sport was not grudged the squiie, for sport- brought extra pay and many little comforts; to the working man.

OLD MANNERS GONE. The millionaire, however, understands his sport from quite another point of view. He probably inhabits his-' fine house only for a few weeks in the year. He knows none of the villagers, he has a few tenants as it is compatible with his necessities, and he carts nothing for them. His idea is simply to bring London down to the country, all his friend." are town friends, his battues must rival those of other rich men, and surpass them if possible, his chef must be the best, his friends smart and well-dtess-ed. and his evenings spent in playing bridge for high points. Snooting parties are reduced to the shortest limits of time, week-ends only occupy two days, and even-body is glad lo get away as soon as the three days' shooting is over. Were it not for the spoil and the gambling these people would be horribly bored ; they have nothing much in common, friendship does not animate them, only fashion and money.

The condition of tin; poor labouring man on ihe estates have not been improved shier the old landlord's disappearance and decay. The feudal sentiment that slill existed in those days led to ;l confidential and affectionate relationship between the squire and hib people which no money can buy. The labourers served man and boy in the same famiiy. they saw the squire'.- suns ami daughteis grow up amongst them, the soiw as bovs Jislied and ferret ted anil shot and hunted with thein. the daughters visited the cottagers, ami knew all the women on lli» estate. Many of the young village girls went into the kitchen or the stillroom of the great house, and married thence, settling into cottages of their own in later life. It was a vast community of souls all animated by the same aim.s. Xow an estate Ls the autocracy of wealth. am! wealth ;'« a hard taskmaster. Jt gives nothing ami exacts the utter st. TJ-1K OI'KX MOL'SK,

Visiting among the great in the hihl i.'Mlury meant an interchange of thought, friendship, an.l good fellowship. In (lie -oliiarv parts of Scotland men like the Duke of Argvll. the Karl of Hnadalbane. the Duke, of Sutherland and Atholl received the passing traveller with alacrity and mad • the !,,e;il inn almost an ltmirco «■>■•.■ adjun.-i. The r,h'.|t.-.-t visit of Ir'MiiU a., a matter of collide ill the Highlands meant three days, called respectively "the ie<t day. the dressed day. the l>p•»>■•■! day." or day on which you were invited to remain. Hospitality wa<s a. duty, t.iit a duty largely conceived and en|),ivt. Ilth :>et e d lIP '"

(.'oneii-sion was always the mollo of | the wisi: landlord who wished to I).- ]■;•- |r, 1 -•:-<-1: r) ami li.loveil. I!u(. coliccs.-.ioli is iar Imm the millionaire's mind. Why ."lumld he i-oix-ede? If one person niak.s lini:--'!f objec-liouable money will provide .■iiii/th r. it |H-iip!e arc sick that is I heir own affair, if parlicft have In; n .-H-eitsi uieil lo picnics on Mime piclur-n--ijiie .-pot on the estate why should they continue to do so'.' So it is ihe jiropiiVoi's own lo do as- lie. likes with. So ho prohibit is trespassers, shuts up gates, raises fence.-. <:m:s;s the house and grounds to .sightseers .and entertains only his acquaintances gathered from afar, never hi.s neighbours, unless they are also millionaires. 11 is extradordinary how if a man will not accept. i<i-;poi:sil)ilily he can evade it. I have known wealthy people who dwelt in London for years, yet never knew the clergyman of their parish, never went to church, never subscribed lo any charily or succoured .my one in dislicss, and vet were not called lo account, but lived respected and admired ! A man's alms may be kept private and so may his nieanne.-s, and the millionaire is often as (selfish as- he his rich, l! is a bad day for the tenants when the eslate changes hands, and ihe rich man without scruples or t radii ions succeeds the poor man with his debts, his difficulties, his good nature, and his kindly traditions.