830 ON 7 HE PURCHASING POWER OF WAGES. 



peasants had, as the Irish cottiers now have, a cow, and that they 

 needed not to purchase butter. But 26.$-., or the price of a pound 

 of butter weekly, would not be more than sufficient for fuel. 



Now if we allow a family two quarters of wheat, two of 

 malt, and one of oatmeal yearly, the cost at the above prices 

 comes to 9 is. id. The rent of his cottage and garden will 

 not be less than 6s. a quarter or 24.?. a year, and the fuel 

 for his household at least 2,6s. yearly. This brings up the 

 necessary charges to i\ us. 2d. Four pounds of meat 

 weekly raises the sum to 14 $s. zd. The annual cost of 

 tools is set by Arthur Young at i^., and of clothing 6 qs. 1 

 At such a rate of expenditure the wages of the unskilled 

 workman are insufficient to meet the cost of living, and it 

 is certain that the last two items were cheaper in the 

 eighteenth than they were in the seventeenth century, and in 

 the estimate which was supplied to Young, meat and similar 

 extras, the price not differing materially from that which ruled 

 during the last sixty years of the period before me, were set 

 down at a much higher amount than I have reckoned them. 



Now in 1731-32, when the prices of corn were considerably 

 lower than they were in the period before me, Lord Lovell 

 of Holkham hires four men at yearly wages. To two of 

 them he gives 8 is. each in money, to a third 6 ios., to 

 a fourth $ is., and contracts with his bailiff and shepherd 

 to lodge and board them at 12 a head yearly, the average 

 cost of the four being 18 iSs. $d. The estimated expendi- 

 ture therefore of a labourer with his wife and two young 

 children in a cottage cannot be considered as exaggerated 

 or excessive if it be put at 21 7^., the amount stated in the 

 above calculation, and a less expenditure must have implied 

 a considerable stint on the family. 



The estimate which has been here made takes no account 

 of harvest earnings, the contingent earnings of other members 

 than those of the head of the family, or of bye-industries. 

 But, on the other hand, it assumes that the workman is 



1 Eastern Tour, vol. i. 446. Young got his information from another person. 



