1905.] Changes in Agricultural Wages. 



247 



Wales, where in certain counties slackness in mines and quarries 

 is stated to have caused an increase in the supply of labour. 





6d. and 



Over 6d. 



Over is. 





District. 



under 



and up to is. 



and up to 2s. 



Total. 





per week. 



per week. 



per week. 





Total Number of Labourers in Districts in which Wages Rose. 



Northern Counties 





849 





849 



Yorkshire, Lancashire 







and Cheshire 



_ 



656 





656 



Eastern and Midland 









Counties 





7,928 





7,928 



Southern and Western 











Counties 



3,385 



7,io5 



1,236 



11,726 



Wales ... 



1,052 



1,241 



327 



2,620 



Total 



4,437 



17,779 



1,563 



23,779 



Total Number of Labourers in Districts in which Wages Fell. 



Northern Counties 





209 





• <., 209 



Yorkshire, Lancashire, 











and Cheshire 



534 



2,345 





2,879 



Eastern and Midland 











Counties 





1,900 





1,900 



Southern and Western 











Counties 



1,280 







1,280 



Wales 





1-995 



1,306 



3,30i 



Total ... 



1,814 



6,449 



1,306 



9,569 



Information as to the rates of wages agreed upon at hiring 

 fairs in Scotland was obtained by the Department from a cor- 

 respondent who made special enquiries on the subject. 



The correspondent reported that at the Spring hirings the 

 supply of men seeking situations was about equal to the demand, 

 and that while there was no change in rates of wages in the 

 great majority of cases, they showed on the whole a downward 

 tendency. At the hirings held in the latter half of the year the 

 supply of men was decidedly in excess of the demand, and wages 

 generally showed a fall of from £1 to £2 per half-year. In 

 some cases, however, farm servants remaining in their places 

 sustained no reduction. 



Lads were not so plentiful as men, but, as a result of the fall 

 in men's wages, those for lads also declined a little in many 

 districts. 



The supply of female servants continued to be short of the 

 demand, and their rates of wages were well maintained. 



