SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



The labourer's position had been improved to a great extent by the new 

 poor law, the low prices, and higher wages, but in the middle of the nine- 

 teenth century he had lost to a great extent the extra income obtained by his 

 family by lace-making and straw-plaiting. By the introduction of machinery 

 a much cheaper lace was made, and a foreign straw plait began to be imported 

 into the country, which to a great extent ruined the industry in Buckingham- 

 shire. 



In the Amersham Union district a large number of people belong to 

 benefit societies, but elsewhere the old people come very largely on the rates, 

 and even where lace-making and straw-plaiting can still give some occupation 

 to women the earnings are extremely small. The low rate of wages largely 

 accounts for this, but that labourers have been able to save was shown in the 

 small holdings of a few acres, 8 * 7 taken up at Claydon by labourers, who had 

 been earning 14*. a week. 



In the Chilterns the farmers have suffered far more than in the Vale 

 during the agricultural depression. In 1894"* the rents of rich pasture lands 

 had fallen much less than those of purely arable land, in spite of the fact that 

 dairy produce also had fallen in price very considerably. The farmers, 

 however, complained less of railway rates than is common elsewhere, owing 

 to the competition between the three railway companies whose lines run 

 through the county. At that time there was no shortage of labour on the 

 farms in the Vale, but in many places it is an increasing difficulty in the way 

 of agriculture. The railway works at Wolverton, for instance, draw many 

 young men in the district away from agricultural work, attracted by the 

 higher wages paid at the works. 



The average wage for the county for a labourer is 14^. 6</., but the 

 actual rate differs considerably not only in different districts, but on different 

 farms in the same neighbourhood. Thus on two farms in the Claydon 

 district there is a difference of is. in the wages paid to all classes of 

 labourers.*" 



An interesting experiment has been made in the three Claydons of 

 establishing village libraries 830 under the Public Libraries Acts. In towns 

 the free library supported by the rates has become a well-known institution, 

 but in villages it has been thought to be impossible. In these Buckingham- 

 shire villages, however, successful libraries have been established, and Middle 

 Claydon claims the distinction of being the first village in England at which 

 such a library has been opened. The neighbouring places also share the 

 benefits of the libraries on payment of a small subscription. Books are pro- 

 vided suitable for all ages of readers, and an interesting point about the move- 

 ment is the high standard of the books that are the most popular and eagerly 

 read in the cottages. 



Aylesbury ducks have always been famous, and are kept by many of the 

 cottagers and small tradesmen. A high price can be obtained for the duck- 

 lings, and in this way a small addition to the regular wages can be obtained 

 by many of the labourers. Of late years also a determined attempt has been 



*" Rtp. ofSeltct Com. an Small HoUtngi, 1889. 



"* Ref. of Roy. Com. on Agri. 1897. 



m From information supplied by Miss Ruth Verney. 



00 Lady Verney, Pub. Lib. Acts in yillage Communitiei. 



93 



