'Lord Shaftesbury - does not like to think 'Dorset-exceptionally badly off, arid
has .accordingly made an inquiry over eighteen farms, coveting nearly 10,000 acres, add reports the result to the Times.- He finds that the,-Dorset system is one.of a low weekly-wage eked-out by perquisite,s; for work continued from seven to fiver with an hour. ,and a half for-food. He found among 185 ables,bodied labourers that the- average ,silver wage was 10s. 6d. a week, but some of them have allotments yielding Is. 6d. a week, and gardens worth 4d.,.and. small doles, granted as interest on their savings in penny. clubs. ,.Altogether Jae takes the.average income of :a married :labourer on:this ,property to be. 14s. 6d. a -week. Lord S. G. Osborne, on the other hand, denies ;the statement as to hours absolutely, langhs at the idea of piece -.work being a favour, and declares that no estimate of _perquisites 48 worth a straw. Payment in that mode is..at best only, the old truck system, abolished in factoriesaad mines bylaw, and most iniuxions to the men. The truth seems to -be, that while the laboureranDorset is not ,much worse off than. the: labourer in Essex, be is about :as badly off- as .a man-can be and, live.
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