Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-08-22
The Grain Trade from an English
StandOOint.

The leading English grain trade re-
view, the Mark Lane Erprees, in
its last issue says: Reports re-
garding the yield Of wheat are various
but generally speaking the harvest
promises an Improvement on last years.
There are several districts, particularly
Norfolk, Cumberlandshire and parts of
Essex, where the opposite opinion OBJ
tains and complaints are made of badly
filled ears blight. and rust; further north
the appearances improve. In Lane
ashire and, Yorkshire the crops look
healthier and heavier than for some
| years; in Scotland and Ireland there
are equally favorable hopes. Conflicting
accounts are received regarding barley,
but where early sown the crop will not
leave much to be desired, although it
has suffered from flood and drought.
Very few samples Of new wheat have
arrived and until supplies come in more
freely little can be said regarding the
quality. An occasional parcel was
shown in Mark Lane for wheat growers
and demanded fancy prices, but -busi-
ness will probably settle down into an
ordinary course this week. Supplies of
old wheat are necessarily very light with
such moderate inquiry as is to be ex-
pected during harvest time. Prices
have undergone no auotable change.
Imports of foreign wheat into London
were very moderate, Fridays return
showing only 7,510 quarters. There
was a decided improvement in
trade, especially American descriptions
! for which ready sale was experienced,
at one shilling increase and in SOME in
stances a greater advance. Much of
! the Russian wheat recently imported
arrived in heated, unstable state.
Advices from St. Petersburg indicate
that a very large proportion of the
granaried stock is in a defective condi-
! ton and almost certain to heat during
the summer voyage. 1t is probable
prices will rule low for this class of
wheat for some time to come. The
somewhat unsettled weather and con-
tinued and centennial demand for
wheat both here and in America have
impaired firmer tone to trade.
Pay of Railroad Employees in Europe.
Consular reports recently sent to the
state department at Washington en-
brace statements N regard to the COM
pensation of railway employees in vari-
Gus portions of Europe, from which we
learn that the yearly compensation in
France is as follows: Engineers, $405
to $579; fremen, $30S: watchunen, 1921; !;
chief of baggage, $3.50; baggage men,
$231; porters and servants, $190; chief
of freight, 1888 to $1,158; clerks, 1921;
ticket agents, men or women, $3.50 to
$637; wOrkmen, $173. The consul re-
marks that the cost Of living is less in
France than in America, and the living
poorer. The work on railways is more
subdivided, and quite different from
that of the United States railways in
other respects.
The consular report from Chemnitz,
Saxony, states that the salaries of rail
road employees are small; the superin-
tendent's salary is the highest, 81, ,531: !:
few employees receive over $1,000 per
annum. Section hands are paid $144.75
to $174.5O per year. A certain sum is
allowed to all employees for clothing and
some are furnished with houses and
servants. Ticket agents receive l per
cent. commission on the tickets they
sell. The engineer and fremen are
allowed for any savings they make in
the coal and oil furnished to the trains
by the government. The salary of an
engineer is $3.50; fireman, $500; con-
ductor, $444: ticket agent, 1923 and 5000:
freight master, S571. The panic of 1873
wrought great changes in Saxony, as in
the United States.
I A consular report from Turin, Italy,
says: Railways run by the national gov
ernment pay their engineers from $50
to $40 month, common laborers from
80 to go cents per day, chief conductors
from $3.50 to $400 per annum, station
masters $500 to $1,000: Pensions are
provided for employees after certain
number of years of faithful service, land
to their widows in case Of accident or
death while on duty. Females who
guard the crossings receive 16 cents a
day; ticket-sellers 20 cents, their hours
of labor averaging four Or five per day.
The cost of living for laborers is about IS
cents day.