§ Sir WALTER ESSEXasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the wages paid for agricultural labour in the counties of Northumberland. Wiltshire and Bedford; the proportionate number of women employed in agriculture to the total number of persons employed in agriculture in those counties; and whether it appears from the official figures that where wages for agriculture labour are relatively high the proportionate number of women employed in agriculture is also high?
Mr. RUNCIMANAccording to the Report on Agricultural Wages in 1907—since when there has been a rise in wages—the total average earnings of all classes of male labourers were 21s. 6d., 17s. 5d. and 16s. 9d. in Northumberland, Bedfordshire and Wiltshire, respectively. The proportion of females to males employed was 22, 0.5, 1 per cent. in the same three counties. The causes of the variation in average earnings are too many and complex to be dealt with in an answer to a question, but if I rightly understand my hon. Friend to suggest that high rates for male labour are connected with a high percentage of female employment, I doubt if the suggestion can be sustained.