HOP PICKERS’ OUTING

Evening Star, Issue 20311, 21 October 1929, Page 12

HOP PICKERS’ OUTING

THE SEASON IN KENT The hop-picking season is opening in Kent, which means that upwards ot 60,000 Londoners have to be accommodated in or near the hop fields. The workers are taking their country holidays, and will earn large sums at the same time. Whole families travel to Kent, the large majority by train, but a considerable number by road. Conditions in the camps improve every year, though in general they are still considered far from satisfactory. Especially o-ood accommodation is provided by the brewevv companies, and m some of their camps the pickers are housed in clean and weatherproof huts of wood or tin, with proper sanitary arrangements and cook-houses, and a supervisor appointed by the company to see that the camp'regulations are enforced. But there are still a great many farmers who, with mistaken Kentish patriotism, regard the pickers from London as “foreigners,’’ for whose welfare nothing need be done. This year the attention of tho.se engaged in promoting the welfare of the pickers is being concentrated on improving the heating, cooking, and sanitary arrangements. Open “ camp fires ” were formerly almost universal, and are still very general. The farmers' belief is that the pickers enjoy sitting round the camp fire in the evening singing. This is ■probably true when the weather is tine, but if there is any rain it is almost impossible to dry wet clothes at these fires, and pneumonia has been very frequent. It must be remembered that 80 coat, of the people who come to vne nopfields are’vnnnen and children, and as they are mostly inhabitants of the East End of London they have very little notion of how to look after themselves in the country.