104 R&ltSi WageS) and Profits in Agriculture 



Even after the Act of 1834 had abolished 

 the allowance system, the roundsman system, 

 and the labour rate system, the ideas at 

 the root of the old Poor- Law still pre- 

 vailed to a great extent. A report of 1839 

 says that various contrivances had enabled 

 the predominant interest in each locality 

 to contribute to a common fund from 

 which they did not derive an equal benefit. 

 Very commonly, however, the farmers them- 

 selves, in the forties, gave partial work to 

 men for whom they had no real need, and 

 kept up a surplus supply of labour at low 

 wages, simply to keep the men off the 

 rates. It is definitely stated in the Report 

 on the Burdens on Land in 1846 that in 

 order to reduce the poor-rate the farmers 

 in many parishes employ more hands than 

 the economical working of the land requires. 

 Farmers on large holdings gave evidence 

 before this Committee that they found it 



