LEGISLATION ON WAGES 99 



higher wages than obtained in many counties 

 before the war can undoubtedly be paid by 

 the farmer without placing on him any 

 undue burden. 



34. One of our witnesses advocated a national 

 minimum wage being fixed for the whole country. If 

 this were practicable, it would no doubt have the 

 advantage of giving the ex-Service man a more definite 

 idea of what wages he could get than he would obtain 

 from the establishment of Wage Boards in different 

 districts. But, considering the variety of wages and 

 extra payments in different parts of the country, we 

 think that a system of District Wage Boards is the 

 best solution. 



35. There are obvious difficulties in fixing a mini- 

 mum wage for certain classes of agricultural labour. 

 The very young and the very old will either have to 

 be excluded altogether or to have different rates 

 assigned to them. We are alive to the other difficulties 

 inherent in the working of minimum- wage machinery, 

 and have given them careful consideration. We do 

 not think, however, that it is necessary here to dis- 

 cuss their solution in detail, for we are satisfied that 

 they can be surmounted. 



36. Despite the difficulties we consider that the 

 advantages of securing to the agricultural labourer a 

 minimum wage outweigh the disadvantages, and that 

 legislation on the subject is necessary if a sufficient 

 number of ex-Service men are to be attracted to the 

 land after the war. We are, however, of the opinion 

 that such legislation should, on permanent grounds 



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