128 Rents, Wages, and Profits in Agriculture 



In conclusion, it may be observed that in 

 spite of the improvement in the condition 

 of the agricultural labourers as a v^hole, 

 it may be doubted if relatively to other 

 employments the improvement has been 

 sufficient to check the natural flow of 

 labour to the towns. The rise in the price 

 of labour, when otherwise agricultural 

 industry is depressed, leads to a lessened 

 demand on the part of employers ; but 

 even allowing for this, there is, compared 

 with former periods, a relative scarcity of 

 labour. The farmer has to compete with 

 other employers, instead of having a 

 practical monopoly in his district, and he 

 can no longer obtain the cheap labour of 

 women and children. One remedy, from 

 the farmers' point of view, seems to be the 

 recognition of the principle of the economy 

 of high wages, and of the allied principle 

 that the more men are interested in the 



