asked the First Commissioner of Works, as representing the Secretary for Scotland, if he can state the weekly wages for agricultural workers in each of the counties of Scotland as fixed at the November term, giving the figures for each county separately, and also the corresponding figures for the immediately preceding year?
Owing to the practice in Scotland of engaging agricultural workers for the year or half-year, coupled with the fact that in addition to the cash wage it is the custom to provide board and lodgings or other perquisites of varying value, it is not practicable to furnish a statement in the form desired by the hon. and learned Member. A statement is appended which gives for a number of districts in Scotland such information as is available in regard to wages of agricultural workers.
| District. | Martinmas, 1921. | Martinmas, 1922. | Remarks. | |||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | |||||
| Central Aberdeen. | Foremen | £28 to £32 | Foremen | £26 to £30 | With board and lodging. | |
| Head cattlemen | £28 to £32 | Head cattlemen | £26 to £30 | |||
| Second men | £24 to £28 | Second men | £19 to £24 | |||
| Third men | £20 to £24 | Halflins | £16 to £19 | |||
| Youths | £12 to £18 | Boys | £13 to £15 | |||
| Maids | £18 to £24 | |||||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | |||||
| North-East Aberdeen. | First horsemen | £28 to £32 | Foremen | £28 to £30 | With board and lodging. | |
| Second horsemen | £25 to £28 | Second horsemen | £26 to £28 | |||
| Third horsemen | £17 to £25 | Third horsemen | £20 to £26 | |||
| Cattlemen | £28 to £32 | Cattlemen | £26 to £30 | |||
| Boys | £10 to £15 | Boys | £9 to £14 | |||
| Halflins | £15 to £20 | |||||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | |||||
| East Aberdeen. | Foremen | £35 | Foremen | £30 to £32 | With board and lodging. | |
| Second horsemen | £28 to £30 | Second horsemen | £28 to £30 | |||
| Third horsemen | £25 to £28 | Third horsemen | £25 to £28 | |||
| First cattlemen | £35 | First cattlemen | £30 to £32 | |||
| Second cattlemen | £28 to £32 | Second cattlemen | £28 to £30 | |||
| Boys | £10 to £20 | |||||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | |||||
| North-East Forfar. | Foremen | £38 to £45 | First horsemen | £35 to £40 | With usual allowances. | |
| Others | £32 to £58 | Second horsemen | £28 to £34 | |||
| Boys | £14 to £20 | |||||
| Per year. | Per year. | |||||
| North and East Perth | Grieves (married) | £100 to £105 | Grieves (married) | £80 to £85 | With house and certain allowances. | |
| Foremen | do. | £80 to £90 | Foremen do. | £65 to £70 | ||
| Second horsemen (married). | £60 to £75 | Second horsemen (married) | £60 | |||
| Cattlemen (married) | £70 to £90 | |||||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | |||||
| Single men | (first) | £40 to £45 | Single men | £25 to £30 | With lodging and certain allowances. | |
| do. | (second) | £35 to £40 | ||||
| do. | (third) | £30 to £35 | ||||
| Boys | £20 to £25 | Boys | £15 to £20 | |||
| Per year. | Per year. | |||||
| South - East Perth | Grieve | £90 to £100 | Grieves | £75 to £85 | With house and allowance of milk and oatmeal. | |
| First horsemen | £80 to £90 | Foremen | £70 to £75 | |||
| Second do. | £75 to £85 | Second horsemen | £60 to £70 | |||
| Cattlemen | £90 | Cattlemen | £65 to £70 | |||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | |||||
| Unmarried men | £32 to £40 | Young men | £30 to £35 | With lodging and allowance of milk and oatmeal, equal to half married men's allowance. | ||
| The Lothians | No hirings at Martinmas term. | No hirings at Martinmas term. | ||||
Rates at Whit Sunday, 1921:— | Rates at Whit Sunday, 1922: — | |||||
| Weekly wages plus allowances averaged 52s. | Weekly wages plus allowances averaged 38s. | |||||
| District. | Martinmas, 1921. | Martinmas, 1922. | Remarks. | ||
| Berwick | No | No fairings at Martinmas term. | |||
Rates at Whit Sunday, 1921:— | Rates at Whit Sunday, 1922:— | ||||
| Weekly wages plus allowances averaged 50s. | Weekly wages plus allowances averaged 37s. | ||||
| South Ayr | Weekly wages, 48s. to 50s. | Weekly wages, 32s. to 40s. | |||
| Women workers 3s. per day | |||||
| North-west Lanark. | Married men 40s. to 42s. per week. | With house. | |||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | ||||
| Single men | £20 to £30 | Single men | £20 to £25 | With board and lodging. | |
| Halflins | £8 to £14 | Halflins to | £18 | ||
| First-class dairymaids. | £20 to £25 | Experienced maids. | £20 | ||
| Second - class dairymaids. | £16 to £18 | Girls learning to milk. | £10 | ||
| South-east Lanark. | Married plough- 35s. per week. man. | Married ploughman 30s. to 34s. per week. | With perquisites. | ||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | ||||
| Single ploughmen. | £20 | Single ploughmen | £20 | With board and lodging. | |
| Women workers | £15 to £20 | Women workers | £15 to £18 | ||
| Per week. | Per week. | ||||
| Stirling | First ploughmen | 48s. to 54s. | First ploughmen | 40s to 44s. | With house. |
| Second and third ploughmen. | 40s. to 48s. | Second ploughmen. | 37s. to 40s. | ||
| Per half year. | Per half year. | ||||
| Single ploughmen | £30 to £35 | Single ploughmen | £23 to £26. | With board and lodging. | |
| Boys and maids | £16 to £26 | Boys and maids | £12 to £19 | ||
| North Argyle. | Horsemen (married). | Per half year £30; | Horsemen (married). | Per half year £25 to £30; | With perquisites. |
| Cattlemen (married). | Cattlemen (married.) | ||||
| Shepherds (married). | Shepherds (married). | ||||
| Per half year with board and lodging. | Per half year. | ||||
| Single men | £15 to £23 | With board and lodging. | |||
| Single men | £25 to £30 | Boys | £10 to £14 | ||
| Younger men and boys. | £12 to £20 | Women workers | £11 to £15 | ||
| Women workers | £14 to £18 10s. | ||||