2 THE AGRICULTURAL CLUB. 



fives of farm-workers, and the remainder appointed by the 

 Minister of Agriculture as independent and impartial 

 persons. 



The first meeting of the Wages Board was held on Decem- 

 ber 6, 1917, and Mr. R. E. Prothero (afterwards Lord 

 Ernie), who was then Minister of Agriculture, attended to 

 give it his official blessing. In the course of his address he 

 remarked that the members collectively possessed " a very 

 varied and a very intimate knowledge of agricultural 

 conditions throughout the whole country," and added that 

 never before had a body assembled which represented the 

 agricultural industry so fully and fairly as the Agricultural 

 Wages Board. It was an inspiring address, and the following 

 passage expressed an idea which pervaded the future 

 deliberations of the Board and the proceedings of the 

 Agricultural Club : 



" The farmer and the worker are both of them capitalists ; 

 the farmer has money not so much as he wants very often 

 and the worker has labour. If a remunerative return is 

 denied to either of these classes is denied, that is, either 

 to the farmer or to the labourer the result is practically the 

 same. The farmer or the labourer leaves the land. Thus 

 no doubt there may at first sight seem to be a direct conflict 

 between the interests of those who pay wages and the 

 interests of those who receive wages. But my own view is, 

 that the differences are comparatively superficial, and for 

 this reason : Neither the farmer nor the labourer can get 

 on without the assistance of the other ; and that fact means 

 this that behind and above the personal superficial differ- 

 ences which may arise, there are common interests which 

 are really deep and permanent." 



The Agricultural Wages Board was in its time subjected 

 to much criticism and accused of many faults, but from one 

 charge at least it escaped that of idleness. Seldom, if ever, 

 has a public body devoted itself more assiduously to the 

 duties entrusted to it. It met early and rose late (on one 

 occasion the day's meeting ended about IT p.m.) and 

 frequently, in the earlier stages, the meetings lasted over 

 two days and on at least one occasion over three. As 



