THE WINTER OF DISCONTENT. 143 



a man turned up in a cart who might have been a successor 

 to Arch. He was a bearded vociferous Primitive Methodist, 

 a tower of strength to any union composed of agricultural 

 labourers. He was a Parish Councillor and a Guardian of 

 the Poor, and before a meeting was held at his own village, 

 delightfully called Loggerheads, he would insist on going 

 round the neighbourhood singing at the top of his voice 

 at the doors of the cottages. To give himself free expansion 

 of his chest he took off his coat in addition to rolling up his 

 sleeves. His name was Enoch at least that was his Chris- 

 tian name, and who would want to know him by any other ? 



During the course of the year the Union had enrolled 

 about 2,000 agricultural labourers in the Midlands, and Mr. 

 John Beard having proved himself so capable, was appointed 

 an organiser at the princely salary (irregularly paid) of 123. 

 a week the wage of his fellow farm workers. Eventually, 

 Mr. Beard became the President of the Union and a member 

 of the Agricultural Wages Board, for which his knowledge 

 and his tactful negotiating qualities well fitted him. 



In those days neither publicans nor parsons gave a very 

 warm welcome to Trade Union organisers. The publicans 

 were often small farmers and as licencees feared the frown 

 of a magisterial bench of landowners. When the parson 

 was sympathetic he had to face the opposition of hostile 

 churchwardens. Mr. Beard tells an amusing incident of a 

 vicar who autocratically gave him permission to hold a 

 meeting in a village schoolroom, in spite of the veto of 

 the other managers, who were farmers. The vicar, in 

 explaining the situation, said although lamps could not be 

 provided by the school, Mr. Beard would be able to get 

 them from the church ! 



The meeting was held and a branch was started, but the 

 churchwardens prevented the further use of the school by 

 imposing a high rent. The village grocer then came to the 

 rescue of the Union by placing his hayloft at its disposal, and 

 branch meetings were then held under the light of a horn 

 lantern whilst the men sat round on bundles of hay. 



Permission to allow the Union the use of a chapel proved 

 to be more embarrassing than the vicar's permission 



