502 



Agricultural and Harvest Wagks. 



[NOV., 



The information collected by the Board of Trade as to the 



rates of agricultural wages showed that a further rise took 



place in 1903, the amount of increase being 



Agricultural greater than in 1902 but much less than in 

 Wages in 1 903, c . a- a T u 



and Harvest an ^ one preceding five years. 1 he 



Wages in 1904. number of agricultural labourers in districts 

 in which wages were reported to have 

 changed in 1903 was 76,048, as compared with 93,654 in 1902. 

 Of these 76,048 labourers, 51,095 were in districts where the 

 wages increased, while in the case of the remainder wages were 

 reduced. In the remaining districts in England and Wales no 

 change was reported. The net increase in the districts where a 

 change was reported was ^556 per week, as against ,£312 in 1902 

 and £3,161 per week in 1901. The Eastern and Midland group 

 showed the most marked lalling-off in wages ; in the Southen: 

 and Western counties, where complaints of the scarcity of farm 

 labour have been most numerous in recent years, the number of 

 labourers in districts where increases took place is much larger 

 than those in districts where wages fell. With regard to Scot- 

 land, the reports show that the rates of wages paid to male farm 

 servants in 1903 were, generally speaking, at about the same 

 level as in 1902. At the spring hirings there was a slight up- 

 ward tendency in wages. In the latter half of the year, owing 

 to the bad harvest, farmers tried to secure reductions in wages, 

 but only those farm servants who were seeking new situations 

 had to face any serious movement for lower wages, and in the 

 main rates remained unchanged. Young lads and women ser- 

 vants continued to be scarce, and commanded relatively high 

 wages. 



Returns have been furnished to the Department relating to 

 97 farms in the Eastern, Midland, and Southern counties of 

 England showing the cash earnings for the corn harvest of 1904 

 of 1,233 agricultural labourers, exclusive of the value of food 

 and drink which may have been provided for them in addition 

 to their money wages. 



The corn ripened quickly this year and harvesting was com- 

 menced earlier than usual. Self-binding machines were very 

 extensively used, as the corn stood up well, and, consequently, 

 there was not much demand for extra men, and most of the 



