viii Contents 



CHAPTER III 



AGRICULTURAL WAGES 



PAGE 



Progress as regards real wages in agriculture greater in the 

 mediaeval period up to the end of the fifteenth century than 

 in any subsequent period — the fifteenth century the golden 

 age of agricultural labour — these opinions examined — 

 the effects of the Ehzabethau legislation on the Poor and 

 Employment — effects of the law of settlement — low rates of 

 wages in spite of the great prosperity in agriculture about 

 the end of the eighteenth century — the growth of agrarian 

 pauperism before 1834 — hardships of the agricultural 

 labourer — evils only partially remedied by the Act of 

 1834— surplus rural labour and low wages after the 

 repeal of the Corn Laws — the evils of the " gang " 

 system — remedial legislation — rise in wages during last 

 fifty years — agricultural wages always lower than corre- 

 sponding wages in the towns — wages and employment of 

 women and children in agriculture — comparison with other 

 countries ....... 88 



CHAPTER IV 



rural depopulation 

 Popular exaggerations on the nature and extent of rural 

 depopulation examined — the census of 1901 — meaning of 

 rural and urban — non-agricultural rural occupations — 

 growth of population greatest not in the large cities but 

 in the towns under 100,000 — no absolute decline in rural 

 districts on the whole, but serious decline in some parts — 

 great falling off of the workers on agricultural land — 

 number of farmers about the same — women and children 

 now very little employed in agriculture — contrast of 

 England with Germany and Austria and other countries 

 as regards the employment of women — complaints of 

 rural depopulation and the undue growth of London very 

 common from the sixteenth century onwards — rural depopu- 

 lation in other countries — France, Germany, Australasia, 

 etc. — consideration of the general causes and of some sug- 

 gested remedies of rural depopulation — small holdings — 

 general conclusion of the broad historical survey of the 

 relations of landlord, farmer, and labourer . . 131 



