Chapter 13.
PUBLICITY AND HUMOUR.
In order to appeal to the ordinary men and women of the county and to command their interest in our work I wrote a regular series of criticisms and information to the Press in the form of letters signing in the Nom-de-Plume of "Garge Gee Up." This name created a lot of interest among the farm workers, and there was much speculation as to who Garge Gee Up was. I always wrote in the Herefordshire dialect and this caused roars of laughter every week.
The following are samples of the letters printed:- -
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mister Heditar,
Thenks fur agreein' tu put my kontribution tu yure paper; Nou Sir, I wuz in town saturdy nite, thenks tu our side uv the Wage Board who fowt tu get we chaps a feaw 'ours on a Saturdy, kause we knaws most farmers fowt agun it. Well, me un the missus wuz stood taukin' tu an auld naybor at the korner uv 'Igh street, thinkin' we wuz by the villege pump when a perlecemun sez (quite nice) Muv alung plese. Ut fust I wuz flabergastid, then all of a sudden it cum tu me—What a diffrunce in a perlecemun's job tuday tu when I wuz a bwoy. Now it's pertectin' the publick un 'elpin' everybuddy by shiftin' gossips un setra from the korners instid of lockin' up drunks; We be makin' fer better things slowly.
Yor 'umble sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mr. Heditur,
Our yung Garge cums in t'other nite all ixcited like, un sez, Farther, ther's a meetin' ut the pub ut hoff past seven;
it's about the land un whot a faiw lib'rals got tu saiy about it. I bin a Lib'ral all my life, in fact wuz a regiler Radicul, we wuz the ixtreme men them daiys; When Josey Chumberlin un Jussy Collins wuz taukin' about givin' we chaps 3 akers un a cow, but we toned down sense then un thaiy never gen us half un aker or a colf, so we be left same as we wuz till Maister Lord Garge gin a speech ut Lime'ouse, where he got mixed up ooth feasunts un wurzels; so bein' puzzeled like T slips on my best jacket un goose tu the meetin'; Mrs. sez don't get havin' mo-orn a pint, I sez I ony got 2 ½ d. so con't have moore. Next wik I'll tell yu moore.
Yor 'umble sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mr. Heditur,
When I got tu the land meetin' my maister wuz ther afore me. A Mister Bwoys wuz the speeker, he'd bin all over the country un fund out a faiw things uz wuz gwaine on. He teld us how the Lords, Dukes un Squires pinched the land from our faithers, untu our sorra we knaws how thaiy treeted us. Yers agoo, sez he, mowst folk lived in thair awn 'ouse un' 'ad a bit uv ground, un' a rite tu the Common. That wuz stole from us, then, sez he, we be out to ristor them rites, so every mon shall live un' have liberty. We wurkin' chaps clapped 'im un' shouted, down ooth tied 'ouses, a faiw farmers said rite enough too; but the land spwillers amung um sez—an' what shul we do if we wants the 'ouse fer a wagginer? He sez paiy a good wage; be desunt un yu'll get men. Moor next wik.
Yur 'Umble Sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mr. Heditur,
Mister Bwoyce went on tu saiy we chaps wuz intitled tu good vittals, close, un' whum uz any sechshun uv the Community, uz atter all, we pervided the meuns uv life, un' we be
treated wust. Course, sez he, t'uther wurkers wuz in the same plite a faiw yers agoo, till thaiy jined thays orgunizashuns un' got it altered a bit. He sed Parliment cood 'elp farmers un' wurkers, but it wuz up tu bwoth tu do thair bit by united effert. He then teld us how the Librals ood give bwoth a chonce. Next mornin' Baister sez hoow'd yu like the meetin', Garge? I sez, I'll tell yu later on, Boss, atter thinkin' it over; but we mun ferget, 'owever good a speech is, it's actions uz counts. In Parliment what thaiyer speekers promise when thaiy gets our votes. Yu be rite, Garge, he sez. We'll huck the 'osses tu the car fer sweed hollin'; it's gone seven. Yur 'Umble Sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mr. Heditur,
We bin all busy kippin' Krismas, un' it makes us wunder why everybody don't kip up the same speret all the yer round. I don't meun stuffin', but havin' a kindly feelin' for all. Ther ood then be no lock-outs er strikes; Maisters ood want every-budy to enjoy life un' ood see thay ad the means to do it. Well, it wuz Shuppuds uz sin the fust Krismus un yerd the fust caril: Peace on earth good will tward men, they sung, but Sir, it's ony ut Krismas it's karrid out; we see men graspin' fer welth; sum on um don't kere how thaiy gets it, nor how many starve un pinch; uz it's we chaps got to do the wurk. Un' a lot of um wuz drinkin 'un' stuffin' Krismus daiy; the daiy atter gwain tu the Churchis, un' all the next wik ool be skemin' ither tu get our wages down or our grub up. It 'peers tu me the Angils wish us well but men be frusterating the Almightie's will ooth greed. Wishing all your reeders a 'Appy New Year.
Yur 'Umble Sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mister Hediter,
The new yer cum in all smilin' like a baby ooth a good
temper, uz if it took no notice uv the doin's uv Maister Baldin un' his gang uv mudlers un' mudslingers ut Parliment. What a good job thaiy don't rule the wether, er we should have frost un' snaw, rain un' sunshine, ooth a jawse uv a lot uv fog all mixed tuguther; Baldin ood want a clowdy daiy. Jix a blazin' sun tu scorth the reds, Cbumberlin rayn, so he could order tin huts, tuther Chumberlin want frost to kill gurms, Churchill ood want fog so's folks oodent see his antics; the back benchers ood yell fer snaw, so them Scotch chaps ood be kept awhum by blocked trayns when Parliment begins agun. So my advice to the wurkers fer the yer unions quik uz the above menshunned gang be tryin' tu bust um if thaiy do thaiyll soon make we chaps wurk for haighteen shillin' a wik un tater ground.
Yer 'Umble Sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mr. Heditur,
The fust marnin' the snaw cum Maister send me tu the Blaksmith shop tu get the 'osses shod, so did a farmer ut Weobley send his waggoner. While the 'osses wuz bein' shod this mon went tu the pub tu ayr his greevunce un' 'ave a drink. Sez he, my Maister ony paiys me 31/- a wik istid of 36/- uz I be yed wagginer. Sum'dy axed him if he wuz in the Union. He sed no, but I oodn't stop ooth the gaffer ony my au'd folks lives in his cottage, un' wurked fer 'im fer 'im fer forty yers. He ood see Maister Box about it. A faiw minits later a nayberin' farmer cums in un' sez, 'ave a drink, tu this wagginer; he suddenly turned perlite and sed Thenk yu Sir. Thaiy got tawkin' about things un' the wagginer sez, we could oothout Maister Box; we wurkmen un' Maisters could settle our affairs rite enough. Now, Sir, things were rung, the farmer should uv paid thirty-six, secundly the chap shouldn't wurk onless he did, thirdly, he shoud tel his Maister strayt, not talk about him beyhind his back in a public 'ouse. That mon's no Britisher. If twont fer the Union ther'd be no Wage Boord, un' that chap ood be bettin' aighteen shillin'
a wik. Well, it's all he's wuth; uz fer bein' strytforud is concerned.
Yer 'Umble Sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Mr. Heditur,
A speshul meeting wuz held ut the Plough Inn on Satady night to yere a report by the wurkers' leader ut the Wage Boord. Garge Carter took the Chair, sported by Bill Shuppud un' Jack Stocker. Ther wuz a full 'ouse tu yere the report uv the Imployers' antics ut the Wage Kommitte of Herefutshur. Garge soon silenced the Kumrades. Then the report; it wuz as follows. The farmers purposed to putt two 'ours on the wik, all the yer round, un' to paiy we chaps fur wurkin' them extra 'ours, to take off a shillin' a wik from wages. 'Ours to be 54 Summer 8 munts, Winter 4 munts. Thaiy purposed tu sink key men 1/6 a wik fer 60 'ours. Our Secetary couldn't get any further fer notes uv exclamashun, Konsturnashun, un' defamation uv the farmers' wicked purposals, un' lang-widge I musn't putt yere, till Bill Ca-Canny sed, Well, bwoys, we can get level ooth um. If thaiy want moore 'ours, we can yet the 'osses have a easier time by gwaine slaiw. More next wik
Yer 'Umble Sarvant,
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Sir,
Atter the bwoys had gin vent tu thayir feelin' over the farmers wantin' to sink our wages un' increase hours the Secretary perceded tu read the purposals put on our beholf by our side uv the Boord's Wage Kommittee. It wuz axin' fer too un' sixpunce a wik on our wage perporshut fer the bwoys un' a 'a'punny un 'our fer women, the 'ours tu be 48 in Winter, 50 in Summer. This wuz 'cordin' tu orders gin tu our side by the Distric' Kummittee uv the Union uz manigies
our business fer the Kounty. No 'eadway wuz made; so it be sent back tu the Farmers' Union tu see if thaiy ool be resunable, but our chaps sed 'cause we'ed bin resunable allready, our side should stick to thaiy perposals. A faiw non union men wanted to knaw wat we'ed dun and looked perty ship-pish when we axed um what thaiy wuz doing about it. Sir, I'll tell yu what my Missus said about it when I got whum, next wik.
Yur 'Umble Sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
Auld Barns Cottage,
Herefutshur.
Dear Sir,
When I got whum atter the meetin' Missus wuz lookin' angshus like, er axed—be the farmers gwaine tu give us a rize? Atter sich a big 'arvist, un' good wether tu get it in; corse 'er wuz ixpectin' the imployers ood act like Christeuns, as moust of um tends Church Sundys. When I teld 'er thaiy perposed making us wurk moor 'ours fer less wages, 'er sed it's time the Women's Institoot eleped our Union Garge tu make it possibul fer wages tu be enuff tu live ooth a bit moore cumfirt; but I'm afrayed the farmers' wives uz rules the roost ther un if thayir 'usbands gin ther wurkmen a stubstanshul rise thaiy ood not 'ave so much fer furs un' ferbiloze, fine motor kars, fancy dress balls, to say nothin' about sarvants tu wayit on um. Yers me bro't up to hold a dozen yung uns, dun me awn wurk, picked fruit, tied un' picked hops, tu dress um (us yure wages never bin enuff tu buy vittals) un' now thaiy bin doing well fer yers, wants we tu slide back tu the auld wages; un' thaiy drive yu back Garge if the men don't get tuguther un' put thaiys fut down; China in Britun I call it; I wuz glad when 'er finished.
Yur 'Umble Sarvant,
GARGE GEE UP.
I have shown how, by writing in a humorous style, how much propaganda work was and can be done. Therefore the reason for inserting a few " Garge Gee Up " postcards out of hundreds printed in the Press. Now for the serious methods with which to appeal for justice for the workers from the Christian standpoint. I wrote a few recitations to read at the outdoor meetings, the following of which is an example.
It is titled " Country Life ":—
The readers should note that these verses were written about 1913 and illustrate the position of the life of the agricultural workers prior to the strike in 1914. At that time certain perquisites such as potato ground, in the farmer's field, in some cases a quart of skimmed milk, and two or three quarts of cider per day (but not out of the master's tap), a load of wood on some farms, and this was calculated to be worth approximately from two to three shillings per week. In reference to the free cottages, they were free usually to the stockmen, but those men had to work one or two hours extra daily and part of Sunday for no extra pay in many cases. The ordinary labourer paid 1/6 to 2/6 per week rent out of his wages, but he was not legally acknowledged by law as the tenant.
The perquisite system was partially abolished as cider was not allowed to be a charge upon wages. In fairness to farmer and worker both sides agreed to this under the orders of the Agricultural Wage Board, but the employers were allowed to deduct from wages charges for rent, potato ground, and milk, the charges being in accordance with the values determined by the County Committee of the Boards. No doubt all will agree now that the changes were brought about by the efforts of the Trade Unions and its loyal members, particularly the Herefordshire farm workers' strike in 1914, as previously stated.
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