THE RURAL EXODUS 85 



sunset darkens the green, and their timidity 

 grows less, they close upon the van, while a 

 swarm of children cluster round the wheels 

 and shafts. 



The economic difficulty of feeding an 

 average family on the average wages of an 

 agricultural labourer has already been men- 

 tioned. Nevertheless the legend persists 

 amongst well-fed people that the country 

 cottager has abundance of sound if plain 

 nourishment. On the contrary, Mr. Seebohm 

 Rowntree's estimate that adequate nutrition 

 and maintenance could not be provided for 

 a rural family of five for under l Os. 6d. a 

 week * holds the field, and demonstrates 

 quite clearly that the wages received by the 

 vast majority of English agricultural labourers 

 are insufficient to maintain their families in 

 mental and physical efficiency. The out- 

 lay in any workhouse for the food alone of 

 a family of five and that purchased in large 

 quantities at contract prices would reach 

 some 8/- more than the average wages of a 

 labourer in the south of England ! A little 

 arithmetic with the domestic possibilities of 

 13/- to 15/- a week is indeed a useful cor- 



1 Food 13s. 9dL, Fuel Is. 4d., Bent 2-., Clothing 2s. 3d. 

 (6d. each adult, 5d. each child), Insurance 4d., Sundries 

 lOd. 



