182 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



taken an active interest in the battles of the agricultural 

 labourers, became its new President, and Mr! H. A. Day 

 was elected its new Treasurer. 



Though the Union had suffered a reverse and its member- 

 ship had declined owing to the surrender at St. Faith's, 

 the publicity of the strike and the sympathy evoked caused 

 its membership to revive in 1912. In that year a confer- 

 ence was held, when the rules and objects were revised and 

 the name was altered to the National Agricultural Labourers' 

 and Rural Workers' Union. 1 



The Union now took a new lease of life. The National 

 Insurance Act of 1911, which came into force in 1912, 

 helped to bring grist to the Union mill, for labourers found 

 it to be more remunerative to take up an Insurance Card 

 with the Trade Union than with the Post Office. The new 

 Union was registered as an Approved Society and many 

 members of extinguished small benefit societies joined the 

 National Agricultural Labourers' Union. 2 



The National Agricultural Labourers' Union now became 

 affiliated to the Trade Union Congress, to which they were 

 entitled to send two representatives each year. The failure 

 at St. Faith's stimulated the organised workers of the town 

 to come to the help of the agricultural labourers, and we shall 



1 The rural workers embraced those persons " who are Allotment and 

 Small Holders, Agricultural Labourers, Gardeners, Navvies, Yardmen, 

 Carters, Roadmen, Female Workers, Carpenters and Skilled Artisans, 

 who from health, age, distance of nearest branch, or other sufficient reasons, 

 are unable to join the recognised Unions of their respective trades, and any 

 other person agreed to by a Branch and not vetoed by the General Council 

 or the Executive Committee." 



Its objects were declared to be : 



(a) To improve the social and moral conditions of its members. 



(b) To establish central funds for the purpose of securing a better dis- 

 position of the land, by assisting to provide allotments, small holdings, 

 improved housing accommodation, and better conditions of living. 



(c) To secure proper legal advice when necessary and to shield members 

 from injustice. 



(d) To relieve members out of work through disputes, strikes, or lock- 

 outs, when sanctioned by the Executive Committee or the General Council 

 of the Union. 



(e) To encourage intercommunication with Unions in other parts of 

 this country and other countries. 



1 Mr. R. B. Walker tells me he discovered a Benefit Society existing 

 near Fakenham which had an unbroken record of membership since the 

 halcyon days of Arch's Union, for though it had dropped its trade unionism 

 it had retained its Sick Benefit contributors. 



