The Henson Journals

[154]

Wednesday, September 3rd, 1919.

I asked James what he thought of Jones's demand for an increase of wages, and he did not seem to think it excessive: so I made a virtue of necessity, & told him he should have what he asked viz. £3 weekly. It seemed to me very important that the Bishop's gardener should not be able to complain of being under–paid. The exemplary aspect of episcopal behaviour is apt to be inconvenient when episcopal incomes are falling below episcopal expenditures!

After lunch I visited the vast tabernacle in which it is proposed to entertain 2600 ex–service men at dinner on Saturday. It is more than 400 feet long, and the chances of my voice being heard in it are very slight. Streeter and a young Oxford friend met me, and had some talk.

At tea there came the Vicar of Dormington, Mr Cope, and his wife. He is chairman of a committee for choosing sites for houses in his part of the county. He said that there was less shortage than he had expected, that it was mainly in respect of the better houses i.e. houses occupied by the superior members of the rural communities, that the shortages existed, & that in selecting tenants for the new houses preference would be given to ex–service men. He said the farmers were greatly flourishing, & ill–disposed to pay more to the labourers than they were compelled to do.

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