Agricultural Wages 103 



so that the men might get something by 

 way of aid from the parish. The labourers, 

 of course, did not exert themselves over 

 their work, or even over finding employ- 

 ment, as they were sure of much the same 

 subsistence in any case. 



Sometimes, indeed, they were actually 

 better off if they received the whole of 

 their pay from the parish. The system was 

 really based on the communistic idea, that 

 regard should be paid to the wants and 

 necessities of the workers and not to the 

 value of the work done. In Buckingham- 

 shire it was reported that wages, considered 

 as the result of a bargain between the 

 capitalist and the labourer for the advantage 

 of both, could hardly be said to exist. The 

 farmer, like the parish, commonly paid 

 every man according to the wants of 

 himself and his family, and then got what 

 work he could out of him. 



