The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-20 00:00:00

CORNER or BOND-STREET.

AWARDED TO C. F. HANCOCK :
Groat Exhibition, 1851—Council Medal for Originality and
Taste. Paris Exhibition,lBss —Gold Medallic) d'lfouneur.
International Exhibition, 1862—Prize Modal, for great
Excellence of Design and Manufacture.

MANUFACTURERS OF TIIE VICTORIA CROSS.

PAINLESS SYSTEM OF DENTISTRY.
Just published, price 3d. Pod free four stamps.
TOTAL ABOLITION OF PAIN
IN DENTISTRY.
By 3lessrs. GABRIEL, the old established DENTISTS,

GI, LUDGATE Londjn.
56. HA ItLkY-STREE r,
134, DU tim-sTRE E) C, LIVERPOOL.

2HE AGRICUL7URAL STRIKE IN LEEDS.

AYLESBURY, Thursday.

Last night an aggregate meeting of the farmers of the
county of Buckingham was held at the " George" Hotel, in
this town, under the auspices of the linyal Central Bucks
Agricultural Association, to discuss matters connected with
the strike of farm labourers at Gawcott, the system of
agricultural gangs, labourers' cottages, education in the
rural districts, and other topics now occupying public at-
tention. There was a large attendance, including some of
the most eminent agriculturists of the district, and Mr. E.
M. Major Lucas presided.

Mr. W. BROWN, secretary of the Tring (fleets) Agricul-
tural Society, read a lengthy paper. He referred to a let-
ter from the Rev. Canon Girdlestone, saying that at Hal-
berton, Devon, the rate of wages Lad been only 7s. or Bs.
per week, and even this was not always paid in cash ; and
that out of this miserable pittance the labourer had mostly
to pay rent, the remainder being supposed to furnish him
with fuel, food, and clothing. Did any farmer present be-
lieve this ? (No, no.) Ile knew enough about Devon,
but in his native county of Dorset wages were supposed
to be equally low; and he had heard that a general rise in
wages was to be demanded there. Ho had, however, as-
certained that in 'that county labourers had' 'houses and
gardens, and extra land cultivated, all free. The wages
paid to shepherds was lls. per week, and ld. for every
lamb bred; half a hogshead of cyder during hay and
harvest. Carters 10s. and one pound and a hogshead of
liquor for the summer. Other men Bs. per week; women,
45.; boys, 2s. to 6s. The great desire of the labourers there
was to raise the price of piece-work, not to earn more
money, but to do less of it for the same sum. Going into
other counties he found that in Wiltshire wages wore 10s. per
week, stackmen having is. extra, with cottages rent free,
potato-ground, and other perquisites, the summer work
beirg done by the piece. In Berks wages were 12s. per
week, cowmen having in addition free cottages, firing,
vegetables, and table beer, equal altogether to 18s. per
week all the year round, making on an average of several
years a farmer's labour to cost, including haytime and har-
vest, 355. per acre. As to Gawcott, in this county,
where what was termed the strike had occurred, ti-letter
had been written by Mr. Barge, of Ilillesden, close by,
which put a very different construction on the matter.
He had received independent and reliable information
confirming Mr. Barge's statement, viz., wages of carters,
shepherds, and cowmen, 12s. per week, in some cases
138. and 14e. These, of course, had Sunday duties.
Ordinal), men had lls. per week, and in fine weather they
could insure 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. per day. Boys went to work
at 9 and 10 years old, the girls to service of lacemork. On
an average a man with five children would have two fit fvr
work, who would earn ss. to 7s. per week, thus making an
aggregate income of from ltis. to 20s. per week. In tire
dairy farms milk was b..tiled each morning, and on Satur-
day evening. The rents of cottages varied. Several had
cottages' and plots of garden-ground at 50s. per annum,
whereas others had to pay 60s. without a garden. There
could be no objection to men trying to bettor themselves by
removing from places where there was surplus. labour to
districts where labour was more in reque,4 at better wages,
but he doubted if strikes were necessary for that purpose,
or if the advice and assistance to emigrate either promoted
the happiness of the labourer or benefited his native coun-
try. The difficulty of the whole question of labourers'
wages might be overcome by adopting the plan of paying
men by piece-work wherever practicable, and this had be-
come necessary now that the steam-plough and modern
farming appliances had come into vogue.
The discussion which ensued was taken up spiritedly by
a great many of the farmers.
The proceedings terminated at a late hour.