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

CORNER or BOND-STIEEET.

AWARDED TO O. F. lIANCOCK :
Great Exhibition, 1851—Council Medal for Originality and
Taste. Paris Exhibition,lBss—Gold Medaille d'Honneur.
International Exhibition, 1862--Prize Medal, for great
Excellence of Design and Manufacture.

MANUPACTURERS OF THE VICTORIA CROSS.

PAINLESS SYSTEM OF DENTISTRY.
Just published, price 3d. Post free four stamps.
TOTAL ABOLITION OF PAIN
IN DENTISTRY.
By Messrs. GARRIEL, the old established DENTISTS,

01, LUDGATE- HILL, CI nr, Lond.m.
56. HA ttL EY-ST It E r, W.
134, DUKE-STREE T, LIVERPOOL.

?HE AGRICUL? URAL VIIIKE IN LEEDS.

AYLESBVRV, 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 Royal 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 dibtrict, and Mr. E.
M. Major Lucas presided.
Mr. W. BROWN, secretary of the Tring (Huts) 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 had 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.) He knew enough about Devon,
but in his native county of Dorset wages were supposed
to be equally low ; and he had heard that a genoratrisein
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 mon 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 were 10s. per
week, stackmen having ls. extra, with cottages rent free,
potato-ground, and other perquisites, the summer work
being 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, a letter
had been written by Mr. Barge, of Hillesden, 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
13s. and 14s. These, of course, had Sunday duties.
Ordinary 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 lace work. On
an average a man with five children would have two fit for
work, who would earn ss. to 78. per week, thus making an
aggregate income of front 16s. to 20s. per week. In the
dairy farms milk was bailed 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 bo no objection to men trying to better themselves by
removing from places where there was surplus labour to'
districts where labour was more in request 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.