Dr. Reginald Farrar's report to the Local Government Board on the conditions under which persons are employed in pea-picking : with some general observations on the employment of casual labour in agricultural districts, and an appendix giving the police regulations in force during the hop-picking season in certain districts of Bavaria.

  • Farrar, Reginald, 1861-1921.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. Reginald Farrar's report to the Local Government Board on the conditions under which persons are employed in pea-picking : with some general observations on the employment of casual labour in agricultural districts, and an appendix giving the police regulations in force during the hop-picking season in certain districts of Bavaria. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ['2 in connection with the strawberry harvest in the Dartford Rural District. Colonel IlifFe, of the Salvation Army, has undertaken, with the sanetion of his superiors, to make inquiries with a view to aseertaining what can usefully be done by that body towards organizing labour for the pea harvest, and the executive staff of the Church Army also have the problem under consideration. Casual and intermittent labour might also be discouraged by withholding (as is often done in the case of hop-pickers) the greater part of wages due till the end of the harvest. The payment of wages on account would be necessary to a limited extent to enable the pickers to purchase food, but any picker demanding to be paid in full for work done before the end of the harvest would be discharged, forfeiting his tally-book and would not be re-engaged. The withholding till the end of the harvest, or of each week, of the balance of the wage due after the deduction of the necessary advances would be a real boon to a very thriftless class. It would be a further advantage if arrangements w’ere made by the employer for the conveyance of food in carts to the places where the pickers are lodged. This wmuld obviate the necessity of their resorting to populous centres for the purchase of food, and by keeping them away from the neighbourhood of public houses lessen the temptations to indulgence in intoxicating drink. In a few places this is done by private charitable enterprise, to the great benefit of the picker. Shelters.—For reasons already given it may be conceded that it is not practicable to provide on every farm on which immigrant pea-pickers are employed temporary shelters specially constructed for their reception, but as regards the pea-growing districts of Essex and W orcestershire I have satisfied myself, by personal observation and by conversation with farmers and others acquainted with these districts, that it would be practicable to provide in central situations temporary barracks of simple construction which would suffice for harvesting operations on several farms within a radius of, say, three miles. Buildings of this class can be so cheaply erected that if a small charge were made for admission they could be made to pay for their erection, and I believe that such a charge would be willingly paid. Scores of pea-pickers who had no shelter but the hedgerows have assured me that they would gladly pay 2cl. for a night’s lodging. In support of this statement the master of the Evesham Workhouse informs me that persons refused admission to the casual ward during the pea-picking season have, in some instances, offered to pay for a night’s lodging in the workhouse, and that he has in other instances successfully demanded payment for such accommodation. Cheap canteens might be organized in connection with such shelters. Tents might be utilized to a greater extent than at present, but their employment requires careful supervision. W here I have seen tents in use they have been generally unsatisfactory, being second-hand bell-tents, made of condemned army tentage, often full of rents and holes, and in most cases the number of tents provided has been inadequate. Bell-tents when served out in- discriminately for men, women, and children, do not, as a rule,