Sept. 1896.] 



PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS. 



201 



employed, and in some cases to give less regular work rather 

 than to reduce the rate of wages. No doubt the conversion 

 of arable land to grass has in a number of districts caused a 

 reduction in the number of labourers employed, while in some 

 districts there is evidence that the land is being worse farmed 

 than formerly, owing to a curtailment of labour. In 1894 

 irregularity of work was chiefly confined to the Eastern and 

 Midland counties, which have been most affected by agricultural 

 depression. 



Considering separately summer and winter wages, it is stated 

 that summer rates changed in districts containing 70,753 

 labourers, and winter rates in districts containing 80,880. In 

 the case of 22,152 of these labourers, both summer and winter 

 wages changed. In districts containing 9,354 labourers, the 

 change in the summer rate was a rise (a fall being recorded for 

 the other 6.1,399 labourers) ; while 16,603 labourers were in 

 districts affected by a rise in winter rates, the districts where 

 wages fell containing 64,277 labourers. In six of the cases 

 {affecting 10,784 labourers) of an increase in winter wages in 

 1894 compared with 1893, there had been a fall of at least an 

 equal amount in 1893, doubtless owing, in a great measure, to 

 the scarcity of work in consequence of drought in the summer 

 of that year. 



As regards Wales, there are stated to be circumstances 

 indicating that there was possibly a greater rise in the wages 

 than is shown by the figures quoted m the table above. 



In Scotland, where the farm servants are nearly all hired 

 yearly or half-yearly, there have been no changes of sufficient 

 importance to make a material difference in the wages of any 

 particular class. 



From Ireland, wages of agricultural labourers have been 

 obtained from every poor law union for 1895, and it' is stated 

 that, speaking generally, there has been no change since 1892. 



The Board of Trade had received no information as to any 

 changes in hours of labour. 



Report from the Select Committee on Food Products Adultera- 

 tion, with the Proceedings of the Committee. [H.C. — 288.] 

 Price 9d. 



This is the Report of the Select Committee originally appointed 

 in the year 1894 to inquire into the working of the Margarine 

 Act, 1887, and the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1875, and any 

 Acts amending the same, and report whether any, and, if so, 

 what, amendments of the law relating to adulteration are in 

 their opinion desirable. The Commission met in all on 33 

 occasions, and examined 68 separate witnesses. 



