196 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



the Waterloo Cup, and having said this there is surely little if 

 any need to say more as to its position and general appearance." 1 



Perhaps nothing more need be said to sportsmen, except 

 to add that the land here is owned by a trinity of Earls : 

 the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Sef ton, and the Earl of Lathom, 

 and those who are familiar with their Debrett will now feel 

 themselves geographically at home. To those not so familiar 

 with their Debrett, I might add that this neighbourhood 

 had to satisfy with market garden and farm produce the 

 insatiable markets of Liverpool, Warrington, St. Helens, 

 Wigan and Southport, entailing in many instances extremely 

 long hours for the carters ; and it is little wonder that in a 

 neighbourhood where football is popular the men resented 

 being deprived of a half-holiday, which is claimed by every 

 town artisan. 



In May, 1913, the men formulated their demands, which 

 were : 



(1) Saturday half-holiday, work to cease at I p.m. 



(2) Minimum wage of 245. a week. 



(3) 6d. an hour overtime, and 



(4) Recognition of the Union. 



The Preston Guardian * declared " the Union lived in 

 Dreamland." If so, it was a Dreamland where tired 

 wagoners' journeys were bounded by a horizon of distant 

 furnace fires. 



The farmers, though, wasted no time in poetical fancies, 

 but promptly dismissed their hands, giving them notices 

 to quit their cottages. This action was started by one 

 farmer who, without consulting his neighbours, immedi- 

 ately dismissed his eight men. This arbitrary action 

 caused great indignation amongst the labourers, and a 

 demonstration was held one Sunday at Barton, close to the 

 residence of an employer who had locked out his men the 

 previous Sunday. The procession, headed by a brass band, 

 consisted of 4,000 persons. Mr. George Edwards said he 

 had never witnessed so much enthusiasm and determination 

 in the forty years he had been in public life. 



1 Country Life, May 25, 1913. * May 24, 1913. 



