300 Earnings of Irish Labourers in 1907. [July, 



Southern and Sotith- We stern Counties. — Employment was regular in Kent ; there 

 was some surplus of extra labour, although fruit-picking and haymaking caused a 

 large demand in certain districts. Hoeing and haymaking generally provided full 

 employment in Stirrey. Day labourers were generally in regular employment in 

 Sussex and Hampshire. In Berkshire and Wiltshire, owing to the dry weather, 

 there was less hoeing to be done than usual, and less hand labour required for hay- 

 making. Day labourers were in fair demand, but the supply was usually sufficient. 

 There was generally full employment in Dorset and Somerset ; some scarcity of day 

 labourers was reported from the latter county. Reports from Herefordshire state 

 that employment was regular. The supply of and demand for extra labour were 

 generally about equal. Hoeing and haymaking offered a good deal of work in 

 Gloucestershire, but the supply of day labourers was generally sufficient. There was 

 regular employment in Devon and Cornwall. 



EARNINGS OF IRISH MIGRATORY LABOURERS 



IN 1907. 



In the Second Report on the Wages and Earnings of Agricultural Labourers in 

 the United Kingdom, published by the Board of Trade (Cd. 2,376 of 1905), an 

 account is given of Irish migratory labourers, a large number of whom go every year 

 from Ireland to work on farms in certain counties of England and Scotland.* Some 

 of these labourers "start as early as February, and take part in the ordinary work 

 on farms, not returning until late in the autumn ; but the majority do not start until 

 June. They find employment during the summer and autumn at hoeing, haymaking, 

 harvesting, and taking up potatoes and roots, and on dairy farms in parts of Cheshire 

 they are engaged at milking. In this county Irishmen begin to come in February, 

 and some stay until November or even December." 



In the autumn of last year the Board of Trade addressed an inquiry to certain 

 employers in England and Scotland respecting the earnings of Irish labourers of the 

 class referred to, employed on their farms during the season of 1907. It has not been 

 found practicable to summarise the information obtained owing to the variety in the 

 periods of employment, conditions of work, and allowances of food, &c, on the 

 different farms. The examples given below of amounts earned on certain farms 

 may, however, prove interesting as illustrating the conditions under which the Iri<;h 

 labourers work in different counties, t 



Northumberland. — An employer in Northumberland gives particulars respecting 

 the employment of five Irishmen from the County of Mayo. These men worked from 

 17th June to 15th August, and together earned ^65 2s. lod. They were provided 

 with sleeping accommodation in an outhouse and were given 12 cwts. of coal. 

 During the season they worked for two days on a neighbouring farm, and there 

 earned about £2. 10s. between them. Including this amount, the average weekly 

 cash earnings per man for the whole period were about 31^. 3d. On completing their 

 engagement they returned direct to Ireland. 



Durham. — On a farm near Chester-le-Street four men from the County of Mayo 

 were employed from 24th June to i8lh July. Their total cash earnings amounted to 



* The Report on Irish Migratory Labourers issued by the Department of 

 Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (Cd. 3481 of 1905) states that 

 " From the evidence obtained at various sources it appears that the number of 

 migratory labourers who went to England and Scotland in 1906 was very similar to 

 that of the preceding year, and maybe estimated at approximately 25,000." The 

 figures for 1907 are not yet available. 



+ It may be of interest to note that Irish labourers travelling from Westport to 

 Liverpool via Dublin pay izs. or 131. for the single journey. The fare by boat from 

 Westport or Ballina to Glasgow is $s. for the single journney. 



