25 



ted, — all through drink. The change has been beneficial both to themselves 

 and their master. 



I do earnestly wish that more of my brother farmers would pay their 

 labourers' wages all in hard cash, doing away with perquisites, especially beer j 

 for, as I have before said, all my men are satisfied. 



More than that, if I have to dismiss a man from regular work, I have no 

 occasion to go to a hiring fair to supply his place. I think that if paying men 

 in cash, giving no beer, was to be the rule and not the exception in farming, 

 we should remove a temptation to drink from the working man, and get better 

 labourers, by keeping the drink from them when it is in our power to do so, 



I remain, yours sincerely, 

 Feb. 23, 1877, J. WALKEK. 



LETTER REFERRED TO IN THE ABOVE. 



Dear Sir, — My master having desired me to write to you respecting 

 agricultural work being done without beer, I must first inform you that I for 

 many years was a drinker of beer in my work, but for this last two years and 

 upwards I abstained from it altogether ; therefore I can speak from experience, 

 and that is, I am certain all kind of farm work can be done better without 

 beer than with it, and that men would find, by giving it a fair trial, that their 

 work would be done easier without the beer than with it. 



I remain, yours obediently, 

 BuscoT Wick, Feb. 24, 1877. JOHN JORDON. 



Mr. John Arbey. 



Acacias, Reading, June 18, 1881. 

 Dear Sir, — I have much pleasure in answering your enquiries. I have 

 had many years' experience and consider that the men do their work better 

 without beer. I pay an equivalent in money, and sometimes give cocoa and tea 

 extra. I have farmed about 700 acres, in two distinct districts, 500 and 200 

 acres. The plan has answered well for employer and men. It would be well, 

 I think, if there were no drink sufficiently alcholic to stupify men. 



Yours truly, GEO. PALMER, 

 Mr. John Abbey. (M.P. for Reading.) 



Aston Rowant Park, Tetsworth, Oxon, June 14th, 1881. 

 Dear Sir, — [ have pleasure in answering the question^ contained in 

 your note of the 13th inst., and will reply to them in the order in which you 

 have put them. 



1. It is 18 years since beer was allowed on this farm of 600 acres. 



2. The quality of the work has not deteriorated during this period ; there 

 is, I think, less time wasted than formerly, and the men less quarrelsome than 

 when beer was allowed. 



3. No beer money has been given. All harvests, and much of the farm- 

 work, being paid by the pieces, the men supply themselves with beverages, 

 but alcoholic drinks are not allowed on the farm, nor smoking. 



4. The men seem satisfied with the arrangement, and nothing would 

 induce me to return to the old system of part pa}'raent in beer. 



5. The number of hands I employ is, on the average, 35. 



I remain yours truly, THOS. TAYLOR, (J.P., Oxon). 

 To Mr. John Abbey. 



Kingston Blount, Tetsworth, 

 Dear Sir, 16th June, 1881. 



1. I have never given beer or beer-money, I pay so much wages, and 

 the men do as they please. 



2. I do not think it makes any difference in the work. 



3. I always pay money. I have never tried other kinds of drink. 



4. My usual number on the farm is about 20. Many more in harvest. 



5. I am sure it is much best for both men and master. 



I think, as a rule, the men working together mowing, drink beer. In 

 harvest, working separately they drink tea and coffee I believe if you can 

 sell tea and coffee ready-made in a village, good, and cheaper than beer, the 

 men would buy tea and coffee instead of beer. I shall be pleased to give you 

 any further information, and should only be too glad if all employers of labour 

 would stop beer or beer money. Yours faithfully, 



Mr. Abbey. ARTHUR H. C. BROWN, (J,P., Oxon). 



