Country Life
A FARMERS' REBELL:3N
In Norwich last week I heard scarcely credible threats about a campaign of rebellion from East Anglian farmers. They reminded me of the early days of the suffragette move- ment. A special petition, I believe, has gone up to the wages board to ask for a reduction of 5s. a week in the minimum wage. Extremists went so far—in talk among themselves— as to suggest throwing 5,000 agricultural workers on the labour market in the new year, if nothing was done to help agri- culture. With grim but doubtless not wholly serious fervour, some argued in favour of burning down a corn exchange or committing some such act of violence in order to compel attention to the plight of the farmer, who at present has to take 27s. a quarter for his barley and 30s. a ton for potatoes which certainly cost him four times that sum to grow. In certain cases he has failed to sell at any price. It is beyond question that some of the best and most vigorous farmers in Norfolk are quite at the end of their tether.
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