The strike of Norfolk farm hands reminds us of "the
other England." We are too apt to think only of our towns and the fortunes of their factories, to forget that agriculture is still the greatest single industry that we have. But now the ways of the country are becoming more than ever before like those of the town. At the end of last week the position was this. The farmers wished to reduce wages from 6d. to 51d. an hour and to increase the hours of work from fifty to fifty-four. The men refused absolutely the increase of hours, but seemed willing to negotiate on the wages. Last Saturday both sides attended a Conference at the Bishop of Norwich's palace. Here was a last touch of an older, happier England lingering on into an industrial dispute. The Bishop commented on the real lack of bitterness displayed by both sides. The men admitted the farmers' real difficulty in keeping land cultivated at the present rates of pay—low though they are ; the farmers did not pretend that a man could adequately support a family on 25s. a week, which is what the new rates would amount to, but said they were utterly unable to pay more. The men proposed that there should be a three months' truce on present conditions while both men and farmers put pressure on the Government to assist the industry. The farmers agreed to consider the proposal at the meeting of their Union on Monday. It was thought that a way out had been found.
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