6 A UNIONIST AGRICULTURAL POLICY 



2. The Development of Agriculture is one of the 

 best Methods of Social Reform 



Low wages in agriculture, conjoined with other 

 causes, keep wages down all round. The inter- 

 action between industrial and agricultural wages is 

 proved by the Board of Trade chart on agricul- 

 tural wages. Although in districts where town 

 work competes with country work this competition 

 tends to raise agricultural wages to a higher level 

 than that obtaining in other districts, it is equally 

 true that the general low standard of agricultural 

 wages has an important effect in keeping down 

 the wages of unskilled workers in the towns. 

 The proper payment of agricultural labour as a 

 competing element would, therefore, tend to raise 

 wages in the towns ; and it is impossible to get 

 good wages without agricultural prosperity. 



3. National Defence. Wheat Supply in Time 



of War 



There can be no doubt that whatever the 

 fortunes of war on the high seas, there would 

 be for a considerable period a restriction of our 

 imported supply of wheat, coupled with an 

 increase in prices. Such a situation might well 

 lead to a food panic in our great industrial centres, 

 except in so far as our local resources were able 

 to meet the strain. The temporary dislocation of 

 supplies during the railway strike last year may 



