THE HUEAL PROBLEM. 21 



not used the facilities open to them, but more becauso they had 

 insufficient leisure or wealth to use facilities, the rviral population 

 have found the gates of civilization shut in their faces. Nor 

 till they boarded the train for the distant city or the far dominion 

 did they find the gates begin to open to them. 



THE CONDITION OF THE LABOURER. 



Previous to 1914, a good deal of attention had been given to the 

 rates of wages earned by agricultural labourers, and there should 

 be no need to give figures.* Since 1914 the changes in the rates 



CO o 



of wages have varied considerably. In some districts with a large 

 proportion of labourers over forty years of age the changes have 

 been slight and were tardily made ; in other districts where a large 

 proportion of young men were emploj'ed the changes came more 

 quickly, and were more important. But up to the middle of 1915 

 the wages of only about 75 per cent of the labourers had been 

 affected. The amount of the increase given was usually between 

 one and three shillings per week, but in some cases amounted to 

 four shillings. The general rise may be computed at about fifteen 

 per cent. But an inquir}^ undertaken in a midland county at 

 the end of the year showed one district in which no general change in 

 rates had taken place, and only one district in which total earnings 

 for the year would average £1 per week. 



During this year further increases have been given, and it has 

 been officially stated that the general rise amounts to about 30 per 

 cent .J This increase in rates is not sufficient to meet the rise in 

 prices, but in many cases employment and earnings are more regular 

 than a few years ago, and the conditions are better to that extent. 

 From the employers' point of view the increases are considerable, 

 because they have mostly been given to men over military age, 

 whUst the most vigoroi;s of the j'oung horsemen and ordinar}'' 

 labourers have gone into the Army or to industrial employment. 

 However, on many farms total labour costs have declined while 

 rates have been rising, and as the prices of produce have been 

 high no hardship has been felt. 



As it is next to impossible to forecast the trend of the cost of 

 living it is difficult to say what mil be the net effect of the war 



* Changes in rates of wages have occurred during this century", together wicli 

 changes in details of other conditions of employment, hut the reports of Mr. 

 Wilson Fox on Agricultural Wages (Cd. 346, I'JlK), and Cd. 2376, 1005) will still he 

 found useful. Cd. 5460, 1910, dealing with rates iti 1907, is the latent official return. 

 On the Theory of Wages in Agriculture, see R. V. Lennard. 'Agricultural Wages' 

 (Macmillan, 1914). 



t The following figures show the changes in Ndrfolk : — 



