WHAT OF THE HARVEST? 297 



that though the Corn Production Act was passed in 1917, 

 men were, with rapidly rising prices, entitled legally only 

 to 255. a week, until the Agricultural Wages Board had fixed 

 the minimum rate for the district. As we have seen the 

 first Order was made only on May 20, 1918, whilst others 

 were made three or four months later. This gave rise to much 

 discontent, and the workers' representative on the Central 

 Board, to prevent strikes breaking out, asked the farmers if 

 they would not agree to all minima when fixed being retro- 

 spective from the end of March ; and at their meeting 

 on March 28, 1918, the following resolution was passed : 



" That having regard to the fact that it is not possible for all 

 the District Wages Committees to meet at once and determine 

 what recommendations they wish to make regarding wages, 

 etc., this Board is of the opinion that by mutual agreement 

 between employers and workers it is desirable that any minimum 

 rate of wages which may be fixed should be made retrospective 

 as from the end of March." 



Unfortunately, however, many farmers did not consider 

 this resolution one which they were bound to honour 

 as they were not consulted, and a good deal of 

 strong feeling was displayed over the matter in many 

 counties. Compromises were made in various counties ; 

 but I am afraid very few of the farm workers got their 

 " back pay " as far back as March. The most honourable 

 farmers of course fulfilled their moral obligations, but in a 

 great many cases the partial fulfilment, or non-fulfilment, 

 roused a good deal of bitter feeling, sundering at a blow 

 every vestige of respect existing between master and man. 



That there was no strike in the harvest field before 

 victory was won on the battle field, credit must be given 

 to the farm workers, who felt that they had been betrayed 

 by the farmers. Indeed, it should be remembered that 

 during the whole of war-time, in spite of, or perhaps because 

 of, the astonishing rise of trade unionism amongst farm 

 labourers not a single strike had taken place. 



Owing to the rather clumsy machinery of the Corn 

 Production Act, the Agricultural Wages Board found it 

 was too late to fix the harvest rates for 1918 and left em- 



