The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-10-12 00:00:00

WORKING MEN IN ENGLAND AND
FRANCE: A SOCIAL CONTRAST.
(From Land and Water.)

"The French artisan works longer for his weekly
earnings than the Englishman. On the average the
difference in the number of hours is 21 per cent.,
while the wages paid are 25 per cent, lower, so that in
these two items together the employer in France has an
advantage over an English mill-owner of more than 52
per cent. On the other hand, a somewhat greater
number of hands have to be employed in France than
in England for a similar amount of work, and some
classes of English work-people individually produce
more than the same class of French work-people; but
on the whole, after allowing for these considerations,
the best authorities agree that labour in France costs
one-fourth less than in England; in other words, the
earnings of a French operative are 25 per cent, less than
those of the British working man. Then are the French
artisans in worse circumstances than the English In.
dustrial classes? Quite the contrary.

"The most striking fact with regard to the .?rench
working classes is that nearly all are possessed of
money. However little they earn, they save some-
thing. Thrift is their great characteristic; in fact, it
is said of the French operatives that they spend less in
proportion to their means than any in the world.
Many keep their accumulations in an old stocking
secreted in their houses; others—a daily increasing
number —invest in various securities; the most
popular investment being the purchase of land. Every
Frenchman. when he can, becomes the owner of the
house in which he lives. Of course he is greatly aided
in this by the French land laws and laws of inherit-
ance which cut the whole country up into small hold-
ings. Savings banks with Government security,
building clubs, sick clubs, and friendly societies are
also in favour, but no money is tied up in trades
unions. Strikes of course occur, but in some indus-
trial centres they are very rare—as, for instance,
in the woollen districts. Some authorities say that
the French workmen have not yet felt and do
not know their power, and believe that they will
ultimately become more difficult to deal with.
We doubt this explanation, because politically the
French workmen have repeatedly shown that they are
alive to the strength which combination gives; they
understand that strength; and they have used it—often
with sad consequences to themselves—but socially and
commercially they have not proved themselves fond of
trades unionism, and we believe those are right who
tell us that the French working man is, as a rule, well
aware that his interests are bound up with his
employers, and that strikes are suicidal. How many
British workpeople hold consols? In 1874 the number
of persons entitled to dividends from the British funds
was 228,606; in 1875 the number of holders of French
Routes was 4,380,033. Many artisans in France live
in their own freehold houses; others rent small
houses, or more commonly the flat of a larger
house. In some districts rent is about the same
as in the manufacturing districts in England; in other
parts it is ranch lower. Butcher's meat is a trifle
cheaper, but meat is not, as with us, an article of
daily consumption. In the South of France, thanks
to the climate awl soil, fruit is to be had for very

little, and wine is abundant and cheap. Clothing is
far cheaper. The blue blouse, the invariable working
dress, being ver7 useful, suitable, and inexpensive.
All these are points in favour of the French working
man. But then he is paid 25 per cent, leas than the
Englishman, and therefore how is it that he is able to
save so much more than the British operative.

"During the last eighteen years English wages have
greatly risen. If we turn to the figures revealed by
the commercial statistics of the United Kingdom we
get some insight into the way in which the money
goes. The consumption per head of the population of
Great Britain in the undermentioned commodities
were in 1860 and 1875 respectively as follows :

1860. 1875. I 1800. 1875.
Bacon &Ham lb. 1•27 .. 826 I Potatoes .. lb. 218 .. 16105
Butter „ 326 .. 492 I Tea.. ...... „ 267 .. 4,14
Cheese „ 224 .. 546 Spirits .... gals. 019 .. 036
Eggs ....number 583 22'62 Wines .... „ 023 .. 053

"The consumption of tobacco has, we know, also
increased largely during the same period. No man
can eat his cake and have it too, and it is evident that
if, for example, twenty-two eggs are now used where
five sufficed sixteen years ago (and it must be remem-
bered that eggs and other products are all of them
dearer now than then), our working classes must enjoy
a higher scale of living than contented them formerly.
"During various inquiries made of late years into
the factory laws, eminent witnesses declared that the
physique of our operatives is deteriorating ; i so,
then the ham, eggs, potatoes, spirits, and so orth in
which they more and more indulge, have not been of
much use to them. Of course, the great mistake of
the English working classes is intemperance; the
public-house is the sink down which he steadily pours
his earnings. In France it is otherwise. French wine,
if cheap, is unintoxicating ; drunken men are rare,
and a drunken woman is seldom seen. But, after all,
it may be that the mischievous effects of an ill-
administered Poor Law, operating from generation to
generation, is more than anything else to be blamed
for the want of thrift among our industrial awns.
From father to son the traditional maxim goes, 'Why
save when there are the rates to fall back on.' Could
not our Government usefully send one of their poor
law inspectors to France to prepare a full report on
the relief of the poor in that country, and the effects
on the recipients of alms?"