3-S LXGL1SII AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



filled with a crowd arrayed in smock frocks and fustian 

 jackets, and in shabby gowns covering the half-starved, 

 haggard wives. 



There and then it was resolved that the union should 

 be called the Wai wick-hire Agricultural Labourers' Union. 

 The minimum wage determined upon was ids., ten hours 

 only to be worked a day, with a four o'clock stop on Satur- 

 days, and that all overtime should be paid at the rate of .jd. 

 an hour, Sunday work being regarded as overtime. 



So great was the throng that an overilow meeting was 

 held in the street, at which Archibald Forbes took the chair. 

 Inside the hall Sir Baldwin Leighton, the lion. Aulvron 

 Herbert, Mr. V.. Jenkin, M.P., Dr. Langford, of Birmingham, 

 and Mr. Jesse Collings spoke. Here it: was announced that a 

 friend at Birmingham had sent the Union a donation of /ioo 

 through Mr. Dixmi, M.P. Other cheques, varying from 50 

 to /roo, began to How in. 



The farmers retorted with a lockout. When the lockout 

 commenced, the Union had only 5s. in hand, which consisted 

 of pennies and halfpennies contributed by the labourers. 



The lockout lasted for about three months, when the 

 n>i<tance of the farmeis was broken down. Wages imme- 

 diately n >sc to i.js., I5>. and ins. a week. By May the I '\\\< \\ 

 numbered 50,000 members, and it was in May that it was 

 decided to link together the local unions formed in several 

 counties into a National Union. Lincolnshire had, for 

 instance, between ;5,ooo and .j.ooo in a union; Cambridge 

 had over 2,000, and Huntingdon the same. 



This meiting of the various agricultural laboureis' 

 union-, held on May _'0. was a \-ery remarkable one. 

 Kujhty men, ;ill bona-fide farm labourers, sat, represent - 

 iug twenty-six counties. Mr. (i. Dixoii, M.I', for liirm- 

 inu'ham, jn-ided. The National Agrieuhural Labourers' 

 I nion became an acomplished fact , with Joseph Arch as its 

 chairman and Henry Taylor its secretary. Mr. J. K. M. 

 Vincent was elected treasurer and Messrs. Jesse- Collings, 

 !.. Jenkins A. Arnold, and W. (i. Ward were appointed 

 tru- ii - . I he rut i a nee fee was iixed at oM. and t lie cont ribu - 

 lion at L'd. a week. 



