1920.] Speech by the Minister of Agrict lti re. 829 



labourers. (Hear, hear.) They are one of the most skilled 

 class of workmen in any trade in any country. I believe some- 

 one said that it is much easier to replace a Cabinet ^linister than 

 it is to replace a ploughman; I accept that ! (Laughter.) And, 

 what is more, these skilled men have shown, throughout these 

 times of trial, during the last few years especially, very little 

 tendency to ca'canny, and very little tendency to strike. The 

 farmers have reason to be grateful for that — (cheers) — and if 

 they would look a little more upon these men as their partners 

 in the industry, and would see that it is really in the interests of 

 the employer, quite as much as that of the men, that they should 

 be content, that they should be well paid, that they should have 

 reasonable conditions of work and housing, it would benefit the 

 farmers quite as much as anybody else. After all, the labourers 

 have had a real and lifelong grievance as a class; now^ the sins of 

 the fathers are being visited on the children; and there is a great 

 deal that has to be done in order to give the labourer that full 

 share to which he is entitled in the prosperity of the industry. 

 As regards wages, I think that question is going to right itself 

 by the usual process of negotiation and examination by the 

 Wages Board; but there is one problem which is unsolved, and 

 which, so far as I can see under present conditions, is almost 

 insoluble, and that is the question of the " tied cottage." It is 

 a real hardship to both sides. Tied cottages are essential for 

 some men on the farm; and I was very glad to see that recog- 

 nised frankly and fully in an article which I read in the ' ' Land 

 Worker," the organ of the men's Union. But if a man is turned 

 out, if a man has to go, he must have somewhere to go, and the 

 houses do not exist. They have got to be built, but who under 

 present conditions can build them? Who can afford to build 

 them? The Government is doing its best to push on with 

 housing, but it cannot get the labour. More houses is the first 

 and the most important need of the nation to-day, and if the 

 Building Unions cannot deliver the goods then we have to get 

 them in some other way.- (Hear, hear.) Speaking with all 

 due responsibility as a member of the Government, I say we 

 are determined to have these houses. (Cheers.) This is not the 

 time when the nation can be held up by some rigid trade union 

 rules which will forbid even an ex-service man, who has fought 

 for his country, from joining in the building of house in 

 which he is going to live, because he has not been apprenticed 

 to the trade from his youth. 



There is only one other point with regard to labour. There 

 is a certain amount of unrest amongst agricultural labourers 



