THE WAGES OF AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS. [To THE EDITOR OF THE
"SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—My whole life previous to 1897 was spent as a labourei in a quiet part of Bedfordshire. I have for several years kept a strict account of my income and expenditure, and a few extracts from my cash-book at the time I was a bond .fide labourer may be interesting to those who are following the present discussion. I ought, perhaps, to explain that I was employed with the stock, and had the management of the garden of the farm, and my average wages were rather above those of the ordinary hand. I take the years from Michaelmas, 1893, to Michaelmas, 1895. When working full time my wages would be 12s. for six days, 2s. for Sundays, and Is. extra to any of the other men—I do not exactly know why, but I always had it—a total of 15s. for a full week. I sometimes lost a day through sickness, and sometimes had a holiday. My total wages as a six-day labourer for those two years amounted to 259138. 8d.; for Sunday labour I received 2919s. 3d. ; the extra is. that I had amounted to another 23 19s. 3d. ; my hay and harvest extras to 27 2s. 3d.,—a total of 280 14s. 5d., an average of about 15s. 6d. per week. In addition I earned 24 13s. 8d. by doing other odd jobs of an evening not in con- nection with the farm, which brings the average to a fraction over 16s. 5d. per week. I had working with me during the winter of 1893 a man whose wage was but just 12s., and that man had five children, not one of whom could earn a penny. I believe that wages in the same district now average is. 6d. per week more for the ordinary hand. I cannot say how long it will keep so, as there are a number of men out of work and likely to be so this winter. It is not easy to estimate the bread bill. In some families I know it averages 7d. per head, and the average may be higher or lower according to whether there is a good garden and plenty of vegetables to be had.—I am, Sir, &c.,
TILLER OF THE SOIL.
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