362 WAGES OF AGRICULTURAL LABOUR. 

These figures show that the improvement in the rates of 
wages which began in 1896 has continued. The districts in 
which an increase in wages took place in 1899 contained 
195,191 labourers, or 19,106 less than the corresponding num- 
ber for 1898, but the number in the district in which wages 
fell was only 248 in 1899 as compared with 2,740 in the 
previous year, The change inthe districts affected amounted 
to an increase of £6,469, which is equivalent to a general 
rise of 8d. per head per week, the same figure as in 
1898. Calculated on the total number of agricultural 
labourers in England and Wales, the rise per head in 1899 
amounted to 2d. per week, which, added tothe rise of 4d. per 
week in cash wages between 18¢5, and 1898, gives a net 
increase of 6d. per headin the four years. 
By far the greater number of changes took place in the 
principal corn-growing counties, namely, in the Eastern and 
Midland Counties. Out of the 195,191 labourers in districts 
in England and Wales affected by changes, 121,474, or 62°1 
per cent., lived in the Eastern and Midland Counties. Calcu- 
lated on this number the aggregate rise amounted to £4,116 
a week, equal to 81d. a head, compared with a rise in these 
counties amounting to £5,454 per week, also equal to 83d. per 
head, calculated upon the 157,150 labourers in such districts 
as were affected by changes in 1898. The next group of 
counties in point of number of changes of wages was the 
Southern and Western group. In these counties 51,704 
labourers were living in districts in which an increase of 
wages took place, the aggregate rise calculated upon this 
number amounting to £1,600 per week, equal to 73d. per 
head, compared with £1,345 per week, or 7d. per head, calcu- 
lated upon the 46,687 labourers in such districts in these 
counties as were affected by changes in 1808. 
In the Northern Counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, 
Durham, and Westmorland, 7,256 labourers were living in 
districts in which there was a rise, the increase calculated 
upon thisnumber amounting to 8d. per head per week. In 
the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, the rise 
was 77d. per head per week if calculated upon the 12,536 
labourers living in the districts in which a change took place: 
