308 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



by Labour representatives, excluding London, gives the 

 number as 235. These figures are swollen by the great 

 triumphs in the mining counties of Durham and Monmouth, 

 where the miracle happened of Labour being in the ascen- 

 dant. Members of the Workers' Union won striking victor- 

 ies in Essex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Bucks, 

 Wilts and Suffolk ; whilst the N.A.L.U. won their most 

 remarkable victories in Norfolk, where Mr. Codling, who had 

 been forced to earn his living with a pedlar's basket on his 

 back, won a sensational victory over Lord Hastings, and 

 where seats were also won by Messrs. Hewitt, Peel, and 

 Taylor, whilst Mr. Edwards remained an alderman. At the 

 by-election in 1920 Messrs. W. Smith and Jesse Brighton 

 have captured seats. The victory in Dorset of Mr. James, 

 an ex-farm worker, was significant, for in that county 

 Labour representation had been hitherto unknown. 



Though the farm worker will undoubtedly play an in- 

 creasing part as a candidate for the County Council, it is 

 the Parish Council only on which he can afford to sit. The 

 County Council will surely remain the citadel of the well-to- 

 do until payment for attendance and travelling becomes law. 

 Whether the Parish Council will ever become an effective 

 regenerating force is doubtful. Certainly little can be done 

 with a rate limited to 3d. in the pound, extended only to 

 6d. for special purposes by the approval of a Parish Meet 

 ing. The powers of a Parish Council may be extended, it- 

 is true. On the other hand it may be found that the unit 

 of the parish is too small for effective village planning and 

 the re-enclosure of land, especially where road-making 

 water supply, and electric power on an extensive scale 

 are involved. 



An unfortunate strike broke out in Staffordshire at the 

 end of August. The farm workers of Staffordshire were 

 bitterly disappointed at no special harvest rates being 

 fixed for them. Other counties, such as Cambridgeshire 

 and Gloucestershire, were awarded is. 8d., Derbyshire 

 is. gd., and Yorkshire is. lid. an hour for harvest over- 

 time rates, but the farm labourers of Stafford were told to 

 work overtime at the normal overtime rate of io|d. an hour, 



