5 FEBRUARY 1927, Page 19

.HOW TO MAKE FARMING PAY -

- • [To The Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Sim, --Having fanned largely in East Anglia and Yorkshire for a quarter of a century I venture to say once more—if von will allow me to do so—that the great difficulty of the British agriculturist to-day lies in the fact that he has to pay

political wages while receiving only economic prices.

In order to bring matters to a head the following resolution was put before the annual meeting of the Cambridge and District Branch of the N.F.U. at Cambridge on Saturday

the 29th ult. :— . •

"That, . inasmuch as there is no relation between the prices a agricultural produce and the wages payable under the Wages Act, this meeting of East Anglian farmers calls upon Government tither to protect the farming industry against the competition of produce grown by low-wage labour abroad, or, alternatively, to provide the difference between the political wages now payable imd the true economic wage, which is generally agreed to be, as a minimum, an -amount per week equal to the value of a sack of ulheat."

—I am, Sir, &c.,

Ti/2010E,, . C. F. RYDER.