The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-05-07
The British Labor Movement.

passage Oh l0e NHedI IiOVuOtiVh hNet
forced through parliament largely by|
virtue of German U-boat pressure in
August 1917.
When the English agricultural labor
or built up his own union he would
start with an organization of dozen
or so members and capital of few
dollars. Growth was slow and the first
effort to ameliorate conditions brought
pressure from the farmers and land
lords. generally resulting in collapse.
When the Workers Union organized a
special branch for agricultural labor
| il started with a membership of a
quarter of million and bank ac-
count of several hundred thousand dol.
lars. Merely by filling out his member.
snip card in the Workers Union the
farmworker found himself linked up
with the industrial strength of organ
lied urban labor. This one step brought
his ultimate emancipation nearer than
eighty years of effort at Independent
organization had done.
One of the reasons which led the
Workers Union to organize the farm
laborers, as told me by George Dallas
in charge of the agricultural organiza-
tion work; was the problem of having
discontented or striking farm workers
come to the cities and undercnt the un-
skilled labor there. The reverse Of this
was also true; time and again where
agricultural laborers would attempt a
strike against an unfair landlord or
farmer the latter would bring in un
employed from the cities to defeat
the move. BY successfully invading the
agricultural field the Workers Union
has effectively protected both its rural
and city members from scabbing of
this sort, and tremendously strengthened
the industrial power of both units
1t is noteworthy that the industrial
organizers of the Workers Union have
been phenominally successful in lining
up the farnhands as union members.
The importance to the movement of
the other factor of success the Wheat Pro
duction Act, is found in its clause set.
ting up representative committees
throughout the country for the con-
'ideratior Of production, wages and
other agricultural problems On these
committees the farm workers have an
Eequal representation with the farmers
which meant in the first place a gov,
ernmental endorsement of the agri.
cultural workers union as the only
bodies able to elect farm laborers
representatives. Beyond this, however
The power which they exert on these
COMMITTEES have taught the farm labor
ers and farmers to cooperate and t.
look forward to the time when agri
culture will be socialized industry
free from landlord control
AT every recent conference of farm
laborers, delegates from every county
/, in England have recorded the opinion
that "no adequate solution of the
rural problem is possible so long as
;, ,,the land is privately owned" In ad
dition a minimum wage, "adequate tt
-lpromote efficiency" has been estab
/, lished throughout England and Vale.
by the Wheat Production ACT. Las,
-Ispring this minimum was established
+, for adult male farm workers at tht
ridiculously inadequate figure of thirty
shillings week for six day week o.
r fiftyfopr hours in summer and fift,
: hours III winter.
The Workers Union has achieve,
) the most remarkable success in organ
izing the agricultural workers. and j
I of particular interest because of it
D successful combination of farm and j,
= dustrial worker. It is not, however
mt present numerally the most impol
: tant of the rural unions. The AgricuI
tural Laborers' Union, successfully rt
d organized ont of previous failures i
: 1912, is entirely Of, by and for th
farm workers. and has an enviabl
y record of successes accomplished bot
: by peaceful negotiation and, wher
negotiations were spurned, by strike
: In the county of Norfolk this uuio
now exerts such power that no farme
i will take on n "hand" unless the In
.er can show his union card. The A.
u. now claims membership Of SOM
: thing over 100000, and is CROWN
steadily. The agricultural section Of til
1
: is also increasing.
In spite of certain amount
2 rivalry there is close executive ha
lmony between these two bodies. Bo!
. are cooperating on the immediate ali
o of British agricultural labor q bas
n 4S hour week with n minimum wage {
{ fifty shillings. provisions which a,
. likely to be forced through the fort
I coming Parliament. Both are urgin
u their members to vote TIE labor tick,
;. and strengthen their political ms we
, as their industrial position, the result
u of which propaganda are now seen
: every by-election in agricultural di
u tricts. =
u The rapid emancipation Of the agr
u cultural workers, and the growing g
e operation between him and the farm,
against the absentee landlord, is one
y the most significant features Of u
70 new England which has been born o,
= of the war. The dukes and earls wi
y own majority Of England are beir
ie N faced with two alternatives-eith
" take up agriculture as n serious bus
,o ness or sell out to those who will ar
y Il is noteworthy that for the mo
u part they are choosing the latter cour
:. Meantime the sentiment for national
30 zation Of the land and communist
~ ~ ownership is spreading.
as One other factor growing oil, of Il
VI rural activity Of the Workers Unic
,e deserves stress. II Is the close c
:, operation between agricultural and II
~ ban labor which Is being develope
u Something which, combined with tl
~ =, work Of the Cooperative Societies cs
W W be developed so bs TO eliminate Il
" middleman whenever he oporotes M