19-20.] 



1 1 ak vest Wages. 



527 



tions which the District Committees had made in the case* oi 

 the cottages in question from the maximum value at which a 

 cottage may he reckoned in part payment of minimum rates of 

 wages. 



The Board considered the objections received to their Proposal 

 of the 9th July, to increase the minimum rates of wages for male 

 agricultural workers of 21 years of age and over throughout 

 England and Wales, together with the reports on the Proposal 

 made by the various District Wages Committees. With certain 

 minor amendments, the Proposal was confirmed as an Order, to 

 come into operation on Monday, the 23rd August. The general 

 effect of the Order is to increase the minimum rates of wages 

 for adult male workers by 4s. per w r eek throughout the country, 

 with the result that the minimum rates for such workers will be 

 46s. in 19 of the District Wages Committee areas, and will range 

 in the other 20 areas from 46s. 6d. up to 50s. 6d. in the case of 

 Northumberland and Durham. The Order also provides for 

 proportionate increases in the overtime rates. 



A motion which was put by Mrs. Toon for the revision of 

 minimum rates for male workers under 21 years of age and for 

 female workers of all ages, w T as referred to a Special Committee 

 of the Board for consideration. 



Full particulars of all Orders made by the Agricultural Wages 

 Board are published in the Wages Board Gazette, the yearly 

 subscription for which is 3s. Subscriptions should be sent to 

 the Secretarv, Agricultural Wages Board, 80, Pall Mall, London. 

 S.W.I. 



****** 



In a note published in the issue of the Wages Board Gazette 



for 2nd August it is stated that during July conferences have 



__ . , TT taken place in several counties between 



Harvest Wages. r . ,. , , -. , 7 



° representatives of employers and employed 



on the subject of harvest wages. Tn some counties a 

 satisfactory agreement has been reached, generally embodying 

 a slight increase over last year's rates, but in other 

 cases nothing has been settled. The contention of the employers 

 has generally been that the rate of wages fixed by the Agricul- 

 tural Wages Board is meant to provide a living wage for the 

 whole year and that as harvest operations are not under present 

 conditions specially onerous no extra remuneration is required. 

 The workers have replied that the minimum rate is insufficient 

 and that harvest wages have always been recognised as part of 

 the yearly income. As in former years, the claim arises chieflv. 



