PART EIGHT 



WHAT OF THE HARVEST? 



111. THE CORN PRODUCTION ACT AT WORK. 



FARMERS were no less busy than labour organisers, and 

 whilst combination was going on apace amid the armies 

 of the two opposing forces, the Agricultural Wages Board 

 had set its house in order, formed its District Wages Com- 

 mittees, and made its first pronouncement as to wages and 

 hours. Norfolk was the first county for which an Order 

 was made, and this was dated May 20, 1918. Wages for 

 ordinary labourers were fixed at 3os. for a fifty-four hour 

 week in the summer and a forty-eight hour week for the 

 winter months of November to February. A special 

 class was made of cowmen, who had to work the "customary " 

 hours for 36s. Overtime rates of pay were fixed at SJd. 

 an hour for week-days and lod. for Sundays. These wages 

 came into operation for all male workers over eighteen. 



It was not until September that the Orders were eventu- 

 ally issued for all counties. Based on the Norfolk stan- 

 dard, many counties had 3os. fixed for them, others 3is. and 

 32s. whilst Kent and Surrey had 33s., and Middlesex and 

 Lincolnshire 34s., and the northern counties 355. for the 

 same number of hours. Some counties decided that eighteen 

 years was too young an age to receive manhood's pay, 

 fixing this at twenty-one years. Most cowmen, shepherds 

 and carters had to work the " customary hours " for an 

 additional sum of 6s. As these Orders were abrogated in 

 1919 when an increase of 6s. 6d. a week was granted we need 

 not detail the varying district rates. 



As the cost of living had risen 106 per cent. 1 these rates 



1 Lar^e towns 110 per cent., small towns and villages 102 per cent., 

 United Kingdom 106 per cent. Labour Gazette, April, 1918. 



238 



