1906.] Wages of Agricultural Labourers. 



313 



changes were reported, amounted to a general fall of £igo per 

 week in the wages of those affected, as compared with a rise 

 of ;^58i per week in 1904. 





Total number of 











labourers in districts 



Computed amount of change in 





in which the 



weekly cash wages of the labourers 





predominant rates of 



in districts affected. 





wages 









Year. 























Net in- 





In- 



De- 



In- 



De- 



crease { + ) 





creased. 



creased. 



crease. 



crease. 



or de- 

 crease ( - ). 





No. 



No. 



£ 



£ 



£ 



1896 



52,721 



36,676 



1,858 



1,513 



+ 345 



1897 



72,559 

 183,987 



4,340 



2,232 



110 



+ 2,122 

 -f6,i8o 



1898 



2,356 



6*227 



47 



1899 



163,960 



208 



5,438 



4 



+ 5,434 



1900 



230,635 





8,150 





+ 8,150 



1901 



127,565 



70,469 



3-559 



398 



+ 3,161 



1902 



51,949 



41,705 



1,609 



1,297 

 893 



+ 312 



1903 



51,095 



24-953 



1,449 



+ 556 



1904 



23,779 



9,569 



1,032 



451 



+ 581 



1905 



6,659 



12,438 



252 



442 



- 190 



Returns have been received from 180 correspondents in 

 England and Wales which afford some indication of the course 

 of agricultural wages in the present year. Of the 180 returns, 

 162 show no change in 1906, 10 show a downward tendency 

 (chiefly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), and 8 an upward 

 tendency (chiefly in the Midland and Eastern Counties). 



Information as to the rates of wages agreed upon at hiring 

 fa irs in Scotland in 1905 was obtained by the Department 

 from a correspondent, who reported that while at the hirings 

 held from August to December, 1904, there was a downward 

 tendency in the wages of male farm servants, which were, 

 generally speaking, reduced by £1 to £2 for the half-year, this 

 tendency was checked at the spring hirings in 1905, yet only in 

 exceptional cases were the rates restored to the level of the 

 previous year. At the hirings held in the latter half of 1905 

 the downward movement was resumed, and wages generally 

 showed a fall of from £1 to los. per half-year. In some 

 cases, however, farm servants remaining in their places sus- 

 tained no reduction. 



