The sun., 1900-10-17
Agricultural Wages in Great Britain
and ireland.

anu
We have before us the report Of the British
Board OF Trade on the wages and earnings OF
agricultural laborers in the United King
dom. The document embodies informa-
ton secured in response to inquiries ad-
dressed to thousands OF employers in the
rural districts and throws light upon the
economic condition of a large section
Of the British population.
We should first note that different
methods of engaging and paying agricul-
tural lsborers obtain in different parts Of the
United Kingdom. For instance. in Scotland.
Wales, the North OF England and the North
Of ireland tho majority Of the farm
servants are hired by the year or half
year and receive regular wages; board and
lodging being usually provided free in the
rarmhouscs for the unmarried men. and
cottages in many districts FOR the married
men. In the greater part OF central and
southern England and in southern Ireland
tho majority Of agricultural laborers are
hired by the week, although the men in
charge Of animals are frequently engaged
for longer periods. Throughout the greater
part Of England the custom Of lodging and
boarding men in the farmhouses has prac-
tically ceased 20 exist. The custom OF
engaging nearly all classes Of farm SER
wants at so-caIled hiring fairs obtains in
Scotland. the North Of England, the North Of
Ireland and in northern Wales. but else
where in tie United Kingdom the system
is nearly extinct
We should further note that. although
TIM payments in cash constitute the bulk
- an agricultural laborcr's earnings, tho
mode Of remuneration varies greatly in diff
rornnt parts Of the Kingdom. Whore the
yoarly or half-vearly system of hiring pre-
walls. extra cash payments for piecework
hqy and grain harvest, ,Nertima. SC, are
few. il any; while allowances in kind. such
as board and lodging for unmarried men.
and free cottages, p"'1'n"5, fr"l &c, for
married men. arc frequent on tio other
hand, whore tho grmsuts ars for shorter
terms and the rates for ash wages are lower,
"a in the arabic districts Of the eastern
and southern counties of Lnglaud. more
piccework il done, and extra uavmants
IN cash at hay and grain harvests and for
overtime can be earned, while men ia charge
~ animals often receive lamb money
Journey money, and allowances in kind
The report Of the Board of Trade under
takes 10 furnish a statement Of the earn
ings Of the various classes of agricultural
laborors in each county Of the United King
dom. The following are the final averages
obtained for the earnings Of ordinary
agricultural lahorers in England and for
the classes OF ahorers most nearly CORE
spending to them in Wales, Scotland and
Ireland: il should 10 understood that the
earnings include the value Of all allowances
In kind. In England in 1893 m agricultural
laborer could earn for a week Iss lod.. or,
say, 81 40; in Wales. he could earn - 10; in
Scotland, s452, and in ireland. only 81 81
From q table presented in the report IL an
pears that in Scotland. England md Wales
the earnings Of agricultural Iaborers were
highest near the large industrial and mining
centres This was true also OF Ireland
where, however, the earnings were uni
formly much lever than in Great Britain
There are six counties in Great britain
where tho earnings exceeded S. week
in one Of these. the Scottish county Of
Renfrew, they averaged s549 week
The English county in which the
earnings were lowest was Suffolk, for
there they did not exceed $500 a week;
IN the Irish county OF Mayo they were only
s2lA 1t should be noted that in many
districts in tho Province Of Connaught.
and also in County Donegal in Ulster agri-
cultural laborsrs. considered as distinct
class, scarcely exist, the holdings in such
districts being generally small and worked
10y the farmers and their families. Large
numbers OF these small farmers and their
sons 60 to work as laborers on farms In