The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-23
WORK AND WAGES IN EUROPE
An Interesting Statement.

The Secretaries of Legation to the various
British Embassies In Continental Europe were
some time ago directed by their government to
investigate and report upon the position Of the
artisan and industrial classes, more especially
In such matters as the pronortion which the
number of those so emplc, ed bearsto the other
classes, the description Of houses or lodgings
generally occupied by them, the nature OF their
engagements with employers, the rates Of
wages received by them, with any information
as to the state Of the labor markets, explain
ing whether they present openings for the In
PRODUCTION of labor from without, or the re-
verse; These reports have been made and
submitted, and they contain much interesting
and useful information upon the comparative
condition Of the labor market in the different
countries of Europe, though they are Of
course made from an English point OF view.
According to these reports, then, the wages
OF skilful artisan, such as carpenter, Joiner,
plumber or smith, in Holland, may be reck-
oned, in the larger towns, at l6s., or about
So so a week. He works twelve hours a day
In summer, and his food is very moderate; yet
he Is reported as being prosperous and happy.
In Denmark. flrst-rate carpenter might con-
>~~SS ~''N-
layer sos.
Unfortunately, however, seldom is the Dane
proper the person to earn the highest wages;
for the Dane has yet to learn the meaning
Of the word work; of endurance and thorough
ness he has seldom an adequate notion. Hence
the Swedish artisan comes in and takes the
bread from his mouth; the German enters, and
he gets on better than the Dane himself
In Sweden matters are better. The agrlcul-
tural labore-s earns 20d. a day In summer, and
10d. a day in winter; iron-fOunders earn Is. Sd.
TO %. l0d, and we may take it that skilled
workmen earn Is. to 3s. Sd. day. But there
is not the slightest chance for foreign artisan
to find work there.
In Prussia the journeynan artisan Is gene
rally an educated and well-tO-do man. He not
only possesses good technical education, but
following the excellent practice OF travelling
or wandering" and by visiting the manufac-
lures of other States, he acquires ample ability
for the business he intends to pursue.
In Saxony wages are not high-they aver
age no more than 9s. to Us. week, but the
Saxon workman knows how to keep himself
and his family on that sum, and frequently to
lay by something which enables him to pur-
chase small house, and a plot of ground at
the laborer is still better. He is able to in-
Gulge in meat as daily article Of food, and
even the poorest artisan eats sausages, it un-
able to procure fresh meat. White bread Is
still luxury, and Is seldom indulged in by the
working classes, but black or rye bread, which
costs four kreutzers OF I'D. per pound, forms
their habitual consumption. Beer Is cheap,
and is very largely consumed. And what is
most commendabie is the anxiety felt by the
operatives to save up their earnings with a
view of establishing trade for themselves, or
becoming small proprietors. In Austria the
wages Of artisans must be very small, If we
can judge by the fact that agricultural laborers
earn less than f3 to ca per annum. Yet the
workman in Austria is usually well educated,
and he owes much Of his refinement to his ca
pacity for innocent amusements, and the aDun-
dance with which the means Of 1t are provided
for him by the habits and instincts Of the so
ciety Of which he forms part.
In Brussels, good ordinary carpenter,
working for himself, and having lew pounds
of capital or credit, can earn 4s. to 6s a day,
and can get plenty of work.
In France the condition of the workman has
greatly improved of late years. A journeyman
carpenter who in 1858 earned 4s. a week, in
1869 earned As. Old; mason, who in 1853
earned 3s I'D, in 1869 earned As AID. per day;
while the model lodgings built to supply the
want caused by the extensive demolition of
houses have proved great boon to the Pari-
sian laborer.
In Switzerland the picture is much shaded.
In Zurich the wages of q spinner is only 9s.
per week, and IS. for children; yet the work
ing man in Switzerland is in far more pros
porous state than his co-laborer engaged in
the Development of manufactures in other
countries.
The Swiss operatives, for the most part liv-
Ing IN their own homes, surrounded by their
fa1Slies, and cultivating their own lands, are
less influenced by those periodical storms and
fluctuations to which industry is everywhere
exposed.
In Greece carpenter earns Is. Id. to 3s. Cd.
per day; blacksmith, Is. Sd. to Is. s4d;
mason. Is. SD: to 3s Gsd. per day; aud the
operatives in the silk factories, Is. 94d. to 2s.
ltd.; but, owing to the number of church testi-
walls, kept as strict holidays, leaving only 2s5
annually received is very small.
Spain is not likely to tempt an emigrant Ia
borer, and in Russia wages are extremely low;
so, taking all in all, there is really only one
foreign country to which the wistiul eye Of the
laborer may be usefully directed, and that is
the United States Of America. This is the
"Eldorado" of the working man.
npuo,,J rc o;x b,,nd,,d Dnr,on nofbo1io