This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter vii. the agents of production.--labour. J E have seen how Production and its agents are disabled vv in connection with land; let us now consider Labour's share in the same evil. The dominant agrarian, whether peasant or patrician, will not complain of want of candour in our treatment of him, and our account of the labourer must be as faithful to the facts. Only a few hours' journey, from Connacht to Lancashire, and at one end the Irishman has a reputation as one of the worst workers in the world, while at the other end he cannot find his superior, as if he changed his character on the way across--and seriously, I question whether it is not more a fact than a figure. We have a gift for changing our character, like most peoples so long subject to the insanity of imitating their inferiors. Of course, the end of the journey at which the Irish worker wins his bad reputation is at home--always giving the worst of himself to Ireland, and the best to " the inimy," while shouting his readiness to "die for the ould sod." We are ever ready to "die" for Ireland, but never to live for her. To the minds of most, there is a sort of indignity in home employment, not merely on account of wages, but also because the labourer, following a very natural impulse, prefers to measure himself on the highest standard available, the want of which in Ireland drives the best workers elsewhere, largely through the fault of the home employer and the capitalist; and accordingly over large Irish areas there is a subtle assumption that young manfcood mast lack the hall-mark of efficient maturity until it has proved itself in England, Scotland, or America, with the necessary acquisition of blasphemous obscenity to match. Yet, those whose special duty it is to...