CHAPTER V. 

 PAYMENT " IN KIND." 



THE question of payments " in kind " to farm 

 labourers has been frequently discussed, and it has 

 been quite recently pointed out that the system is 

 on the decline, having been very properly superseded 

 by increased payments in cash. It is far better, in 

 all ways, that labour should be recompensed by money, 

 because then a man can better measure his require- 

 ments, and adjust his expenses to his revenue. It has 

 generally been the case that the value of the goods 

 supplied to him in lieu of cash has been rather over- 

 estimated by the employers. That has been proved 

 in the case of cider truck. The inferior cider generally 

 supplied has really not been worth the weekly amount 

 set against it in the theoretical " wages bill " ; and it 

 was found that, when, from a scarcity of cider in 

 certain years, its value had to be paid in coin of the 

 realm, less than the previously estimated value was paid 

 as an equivalent. 



The articles " in kind " consist of a drink allowance of 

 beer or cider, not always given, except at harvest times ; 

 potato ground free, food as well as drink during harvest ; 

 rough firing, free cartage of the same ; milk and straw 

 for pigs. These are more or less general throughout the 

 agricultural counties. Cider, or beer, is chiefly given 

 cider predominating in Devon, Hereford, Gloucester, 

 Shropshire, Somersetshire, Staffordshire, and parts of 



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