THE AGRICULTURE ACT 93 



would have been no security for him at all had 

 it not been for the intervention of the Labour 

 Party ; and the security is not worthy of the 

 name. Indeed, to keep a roof over his head 

 he is likely to be involved in much litigation. 



If a farmer or landowner takes the precaution 

 to give his workman, as a mere matter of form, 

 notice to quit, though he may have no intention 

 of executing it, during the first six weeks of his 

 occupancy, the labourer gets no compensation. 

 Nor does he if the District Wages Committee 

 consider that the cottage is needed in the 

 interest of food production. He does not get 

 any compensation if he occupies a cottage 

 (as most hinds and shepherds do in the North 

 of England, and practically all ploughmen in 

 Scotland) taken with the usual six-monthly or 

 yearly agreement. 



One would have thought that these provisions 

 left the labourer in a position of insecurity to 

 satisfy even the most feudal-minded person. 

 But no! On the birthday of Him who was 

 born in a manger, and had not where to lay 

 His head, the Lords, on going home to their 

 stately mansions for the Christmas festivities, 

 decided, by a destructive amendment, to make 

 it almost as difficult for the son of man who 

 watches over his flocks in the twentieth 

 century to keep a roof over his head. How- 

 ever, I am glad to learn that the Labour 

 Members in the House of Commons fought 



