The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-14 00:00:00

Wages and Prices in America.

The Cincinnati Gazette gives a long and carefully-
prepared comparison of wages and prices in that
city in 1860 and at the present time ; and as Cin-
cinnati is a large city, making fair progress, and
advantageously situated so far as trade, and espe-
cially trade in supplies for consumption, is con-
cerned, it probably exhibits about the average of
the country. It appears that, as a rule, in private
employ the advance of wages has been about 100
per cent., but it is much less in the public service
and in the employ of companies. Machinists, who
earned $9 to $l2 a week in 1860, now earn $l6 to
$2O. The wages of locksmiths have advanced from
$9 in 1860 to $l5 or $lB at the present time ; while
painters, who got $9 or $lO in 1860, now get on an
average $2l. Tailors get at least 100 per cent.
more than they did before the war. They used to
make coats at $6 50c. to $7, now they get $l4. They
made vests and pants at $1 75c. formerly, and get
$3 40c. now: Cigar-makers have made greater ad-
vances in wages than almost any other trade. In
1860 they received for best brands $4 50c. to $6 per
1,000 ; now the price is no less than $l4. Brick-
layers, who got $2 to $2 509. per day before the
war, now get $4 50c. to $5. Carpenters who got
$1 75c. to $2 befOre the war, now get $3 to $4.
The wages of plasterers have advanced from $1 25c.
or Isl 50c. to $3, and of hod-carriers from $1 or
$1 25c. to $3. Gunsmiths now earn $lB to $2O per
week, though in 1860 the most experienced work-
men only received $9 to $l2. The wages of book-
binders have largely advanced. Women who got
$3 50c. to $4 per week in 1860, now get $7 or $B.
Men's wages, which were from $9 to $l2, have risen
as high as $l5 to $2O. The wages of bootmakers
have risen fully 75 to 100 per cent. The wages of
blacksmiths, boiler-makers, and street-pavers, have
advanced 100 per cent. The salaries of clerks and
teachers have only advanced 25 to 50 per cent.
Turning no ;v to prices we learn that rents in Cin-
cinnati have more than doubled. louses that could
lia#e been obtained in 1860 for $8 to $lO per month
now command $25 to $3O, while those which used
to rent for $2O to $25 are now rented at $5O to
$6O. In groceries, provisions, and liquors, the ad-
vance has been greater than in many other articles.
Coffee has in the five years advanced from 129. to
38c. ; sugar from Bc. to 20c., butter from 14c. to
35c., cheese from .Bc. to 19c.-, whisky from 20c. to
$2, alcohol from 42c. to $4, and beer (per barrel)
from $5 to $l4. Mess pork has advanced from
$l6 80c._ to $32 75e., while other descriptions of
pork have advanced in, perhaps, a little greater
ratio. Altogether, the cost of provisions of all
kinds has gone up fully as much as wages have done
in the best of the trades. The Cincinnati Gazette
gives no statistics of the advance in clothing, but
it has probably exceeded 100 per cent. Coal is not
mentioned : its present price iu New York and
Washington is about $ll a ton. Increased taxa-
tion must cause higher prices than before the war,
bUt so far as their rate is due to inflation the ad-
vance may disappear.- The chancre, however, may
produce a severe crisis, and perhaps' a difficulty in
getting employment for a time.