772 Agricultural Wages^ Prices and Cost of Living. [Dec, 



lis view of the present interest in agricultural wages, the 

 following article is reprinted from the Agricultural Market 

 Report : — 



In recent discussions as to agricultural wages, reference is 

 usually made on the one hand to the fall in the prices of 



. . , agricultural produce and on the other to 



Agricultural ^ ^ 

 Wages Prices ^^^^ ^^^^ hymg. The farmers point out 

 and the ^^^^ they are receiving lower prices and 

 Cost of Livin cannot consequently continue to pay the 

 °* same rate of wages as before, while the 

 w^orker replies that the cost of living has not fallen materially 

 and that he cannot live in comfort on a reduced wage. Whilst 

 conditions vary in different localities and general figures are by 

 no means applicable to individual cases, the Ministry thinks it 

 will be of interest to make such broad comparisons as are 

 possible between the average rates of agricultural wages, the 

 average prices of farm produce, and the cost of living. 



For this purpose the agricultural index number which is 

 published monthly by the Ministry is taken as the best indica- 

 tion of the changes in the prices of agricultural produce, and 

 for the cost of living the index number issued by the Ministry 

 of Labour is used. The former shows the average increase in 

 the wholesale prices of British produce sold off the farm in 

 England and Wales, while the latter represents the average 

 increase in the cost of maintaining the pre-war standard of 

 living of working-class families. 



In order to make a comparison with these figures the average 

 earnings of ordinary farm workers in England and Wales in 

 1914 have been taken at 18s. per week. This figure is based 

 on the assumption that the average weekly cash wages of 

 ordinary agricultural labourers in 1914 were about 16s. 9d., 

 and that, in addition, the labourer received certain allowances 

 which w^ere wwth on the average about Is. 3d. per week. 

 Precise accuracy in this matter cannot be attained, but a con- 

 sideration of the statements made by various authorities sug- 

 gests that 18s. may be taken as a fairly approximate figure. 

 Comparative figures for 1921-1922 can be based on the rates of 

 wages fixed by Conciliation Committees in areas where agTee- 

 ments have been reached, and on estimates of prevailing wages 

 in the other areas, weighted by the number of workers in the 

 different districts, while for some intervening years the rates 

 fixed by the Agricultural Wages Board can be used. Taking 

 in the first place the seven years from 1914 to 1921 the move- 



