430 Wages of Agricultural Labourers. [oct.,. 



of agricultural labourers in the rural districts affected.* The 

 corresponding figures for the ten years 1896 to 1905 are added 

 for comparison : — 





Estimated Total Number 













of Labourers in 



Computed Amount of Change in 





Districts in which the 



Aggregate Weekly Cash Wages of the 





Predominant Rates 



Labourers in Districts Affected. 





of Wages — 











Y ear. 



























Net 





Increased. 



Decreased. 



Increase. 



Decrease. 



Increase ( + ) 

 or 













Decrease ( - ). 





No. 



No. 



£ 



£ 





£ 



1896 ' 



5 2 5 72i 



36,676 



1,858 



1,513 



+ 



345 



1897 ... 



72,559 



4,340 



2,232 



no 



+ 



2,122 



1898 



183,987 



2,356 



6,227 



47 



+ 



6,180 



1899 



163,960 



208 



5,438 



4 



+ 



5-434 



1900 ... 



230,635 





8,150 





+ 



8,150 



1901 



127,565 



10,469 



3,559 



398 



+ 



3,161 



1902 



51,949 



41,705 



1,609 



1,297 





312 



I903 



5?>°95 



24,953 



i,449 



893 



+ 



556 



I904 



23,779 



9,569 



1,032 



45i 



+ 



58i 



I905 



6,659 



12,438 



252 



442 





190 



1906 



14,758 



8,744 



704 



322 



+ 



382 



The figures show that in the period 1897 to 1901 there was a 

 decided upward tendency in agricultural wages. In the 

 following years, 1902 to 1904, and in 1906, the upward move- 

 ment was much less marked, while in 1905 there was a very 

 slight downward tendency. 



In districts for which returns have been received the esti- 

 mated number of agricultural labourers whose wages were 

 reported to have changed in 1906 was 23,502, while the number 

 whose rates of wages were reported as unaltered was 382,203. 

 Of the 23,502 labourers whose wages were changed, 14,758 

 were in districts where wages were increased, and 8,744 in 

 districts where wages were reduced. 



The estimated net increase in 1906, in the districts in which 

 changes were reported, amounted to a total rise of £382 per 

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

 of £190 per week in 1905. 



* Further particulars respecting the method of computing changes in agricultural 

 wages are given in " Report on Changes in Wages and Hours of Labour." Cd. 3172,. 

 1906. Wyman & Sons, Ltd. Price 7d. 



