224 PROBLEMS OF VILLAGE LIFE 



risk. The numerical weakness of the new 

 Union has hitherto prevented any widespread 

 recognition of its existence and purpose, while 

 the facile provision of " free labourers " forms 

 a serious menace to the success of any local 

 effort to secure better terms by force. It is 

 well known that a number of " blackleg " 

 labourers are " retained " by a farmers' 

 association in order to be moved quickly to 

 the scene of a strike or lock-out, and it was 

 precisely the presence of these hired outsiders 

 from Cambridgeshire which brought about 

 the failure of a strike at St. Faith's in Norfolk 

 in 1911. 



Nevertheless it seems clear that in any 

 widely-developed and well-organized strike of 

 our village labourers the general sympathy 

 of the public would be accorded to the men, 

 and there can be little doubt that if the 

 numbers and resources of the Union largely 

 increase and the demands for better condi- 

 tions of life are not secured by legislation or 

 concession the prevailing discontent of the 

 agricultural labourers will sooner or later 

 bring about a general strike at harvest time, 

 which would almost inevitably result in the 

 defeat of the employers. 



