32 Agriculture and the Communit'^. 



land. When, therefore, farmers complained that the best 

 workers were leaving- the land, and that they were left 

 with less efficient workers, they were merely stating- the 

 effect of the conditions under which the workers had to 

 live and work. Where wag-es were lowest the labour was 

 least efficient, and was most wastefully used simply 

 because it was cheap. Low wages and poor farming- went 

 hand in hand. Where wages were higher the labour was 

 more economically handled, and the workers were more 

 skilful and productive. But everywhere in greater or less 

 degree the complaint was the same and was well founded, 

 that the best workers would not remain on the farms. 



There were signs in the years before the outbreak of 

 war that the farm workers had been influenced by the 

 forces which were then at work producing what was known 

 as the Labour Unrest. Trade Unionism, which had died 

 out after Arch's effort in England, revived in Norfolk in 

 1907, and in 1913 and 1914 there were a number of strikes 

 and general demands for increased wages. In Scotland a 

 spontaneous movement arose in 1912, and organisation 

 proceeded apace, the demand for a weekly half-holiday 

 being the chief rallying point. There was a slight rise in 

 wages in most counties. 



The first year of war brought rising prices, much to the 

 profit of the farmer, but greatly to the loss of the workers. 

 The second year of war brought even greater profit to the 

 farmers, but the workers found it more than they could 

 achieve to secure such increases in their wages as would 

 enable them to meet the rising prices. In 1916 the 

 pressure of rising prices provided the necessary stimulus 

 to the workers, while the demands of the army lessened 



