WHAT OF THE HARVEST? 303 



505. a week, so why could not other farmers pay the same 

 was asked. When the matter came up for discussion again 

 in March, the appointed members let the farmers and the 

 workers thrash it out between themselves in an exhaustive 

 conference of three days, which resulted in the farmers 

 agreeing to an all-round increase of 6s. 6d. a week for male 

 workers over twenty-one years of age. The farmers had 

 offered an advance of 53., which was rejected; then 6s., 

 and finally 6s. 6d. The whole Board had three successive 

 meetings in March when the discussion centred largely 

 round hours. A compromise was arrived at, it being 

 agreed on both sides that the hours without overtime pay 

 should be fifty-four until October, when fifty hours should 

 come into force for one month, forty-eight hours for the 

 winter, and fifty hours for the following summer. 



The workers made it understood that though they would 

 loyally abide by this compromise, it should not prejudice 

 them in fighting to include agriculture in the " Forty-eight 

 Hours Bill " for all industries. The Agricultural Wages 

 Board took up the position that the grave state of affairs 

 in the country warranted no delay caused by referring to 

 District Wages Committees, so immediately advertised 

 the proposal for a month to hear objections as enjoined by 

 the Act, and made the Order on May 6, 1919. 



One result of this Order was that three or four farmers' 

 representatives on the Sussex District Wages Committee 

 resigned, on the grounds that when 323. was fixed for Sussex 

 as the minimum wage, they had carried out the law in giving 

 the workers a " reasonable standard of comfort " ! 



No minimum was now less than 365. 6d., and customary 

 hours were abolished save in Northumberland and Durham 

 (for which a wage of 495. 6d. a week was fixed) and the 

 administrative counties of Cambridge, Isle of Ely, Hunt- 

 ingdon, Bedford, Cumberland, Westmoreland, part of Lan- 

 caster, Denbigh, Flint, Carnarvon, Gloucester, Worcester, 

 Merioneth, Montgomery, and Warwick, for which special 

 arrangements were made. It will be observed that the 

 farmers in many counties, who said in 1918 that they 

 could not carry on the farms unless an Order were made 



