THE POLICY OF GUARANTEED PRICES 69 



shorter than in 19 13, but as we have no 

 authentic figures as to hours worked in that 

 year, I cannot make any accurate comparisons. 

 We can, however, deduce from the foregoing 

 figures that wages had barely doubled. Now 

 let us compare the rise in value of farm pro- 

 duce, taking June 19 13 to May 1914 as one 

 period, and June 19 18 to October 19 18 as 

 the other. 



Fat cattle rose from 8s. 2d. per stone to 

 1 6s. yd. ; fat sheep from 8|d. per lb. to is. 3^d. ; 

 fat pigs from 8s. id. per stone to 19s. yd. ; wheat 

 from 31s. 9d. per qr. to £3, 13s. 6d. ; barley 

 from £1, 6s. yd. to £2, 19s. yd.', oats from 18s. 8d. 

 to £2, 9s. 5d. ; beans from £1, 14s. 5d. per 

 532 lb. to £10, os. iod. ; peas from £i y 16s. 9d. 

 per 504 lb. to £9, 8s. 5d. ; potatoes from £3, 4s. 

 per ton to £6, 13s. ; milk rose from 9d. per 

 gallon to is. 8Jd. The General Index number 

 of vegetables rose from 100 to 284, and of fruit 

 from 100 to 383. We see from these figures 

 that during this period prices were not only 

 doubled, but even trebled. 



What, then, made the farmers take their hand 

 off the plough for the production of wheat ? 

 They did not take their hand off the plough 

 which prepared the ground for barley. That 

 crop has increased in one year (1919-20) by 

 127,450 acres. Why? Because for barley 

 they had a free and uncontrolled market. 

 They were out for profit and, uncertain as to 



