, 1879-08-15

American Consuls In Europe statements
showing tho sovero aud ceaseless struggle Of
The wago classes In the German States 10 OBJ
tain Tho food necessary to sustain life. 11en,
women, md children labor their livas
through for bare subsistence. The lot of
tho women in peculiarly hard one. Thoy
perform largoly ths labor Of the fields, and
in the citios much Of the sovcro drudgc1y,
s1'ch us llod.carrying, which would seem to
everybody, without rcspoct to age. In seeking
labor, md TINT there is sad deficiency in
the work for which labor is required, It fol-
lows that tho compensation or the earnings
of workmen Ia reduced to the minimum
necessary to procure tha essentials Of life.
The severity of this condition can hardly DO
understood in this country. To say that all
persons arc employed, md that tho earnings
are sut1c'ent to bear tho cost Of living, does
not d1scribo fairly condition which
might be said in terms to bo reasonable
in this country. Tho necessities Of
life, as described in these German
statos, aro lodgings clothing, md food.
Tho lodgings Of n family are, in tho cities,
roous in tho mites or in tho easements Of
high buildings; tho furniture and comfort Of
those lodgings nro Of tho rudest and acant'ost
character. Tho clothing is conrse in quality
and limited In quantity. Tho food Is mainly
OF what ia called black or rye broad, with
such vegetables as can 10 obtained in season;
tho meat, which is extremely limited in
quantity, is mostly in tho form Of sausngo;
such u thing rs nlcat-dinner ia confined to
Sunday, md often to feast days Of less fro
quent occttrrouco. Ohicory is universally
substituted for coffee. In all tho particulars
Of food. lodging, and clothing, the average
condition Of these working classos, as
described in these reports, living in the
cities Of Germany, is much below that Of tho
class Of people in Chicago who arc, RS
paupors, Furnished with subsistence ut the
public cxranse. It il true that wages, low
M they are, arc sufficient to meet tho cost Of
living; but the "living" is Of character
wholly unknown to any class Of citizens In
this country, aud II such casea did exist In
this country they would be ranked as those
Of extreme poverty.
Despite tho extreme excess Of 1nbor and
tho consequent low rates Of wagos, the cost
of living, so fur aa tho essontia1s Of food,
clothing, and shelter arc concerned, ia so
high that ''liying" in that country is re-
duced to d standard which would be regarded
aa but slightly removed from starvation in
this country. Iu tho face Of this fact tho
German Government has lately amended
tho tariff and levied new or increased taxos
Oh food aud clothing. Out OF tho i1nmenso
surplus Of broad aud mont with which q
bountlful Providence has blessed tho United
BtRtaH, American labor aud skill Ina been
ab1o TO supply tho States Of Europe with
cheap broadstuirs, cheap boef md pork,
cheese, lard, butter, aid other articles of
food. American ment has boon furnished
tho people of 1re]nnl, Englnnd, Ger.
many, and tho Scandinavian States at
prices 80 low as to placo them
within tho reaoh Of millions Of people
to whom tl.oy have boon comparative
luxurios and to many absolutely denied.
10 the millions Of Germany to whom meat is
luxury to bo enjoyed only onoo weok,
and then in limited quantity, tho United
States woro beginning to furnish beef and
pork in auch quantities and ut such prices as
would gradually mako them a regular article
Of laily food. Prince D1sMAnoE has, however,
intorposed lia authority rs ruler, and has
loyiod q tax on such meat, In order to pro-
vent such abundance and choarness. Whom
tho wheat flour of this country was beginning
to take tho place OF the coarHs rye, mud
promised eventually to become part Of tho
daily bread Of the people, tho Imperial
Chancellor, by tho imposition Of tar, has
forbidden ita further introduction into Cor
many. Tho i1npoaition OF tax on food is
IN act Of ferocious severity at auy tino antl
iu any country, but such tnx ut this time
upon tho people Of Germany, who are reduced
to tho sererost struggles to get even the
coarsost food In quantity sufficient In sustain
life, socms to be M net Of the grosseBt iu-
humanity.
We know that Tho tax on articles OF food,
AZ well as on all articles Of manufacture, is
intended to protect tho homo producer
agafnst tho American; but, as the produc-
ton Of food In Germany Is leas than Is needed
oven for the scanty support Of tho people,
to prevent tho introduction Of food from
without that tho high prices OF an Insufficient
supply Mt home may bs maintained il an not
Of cruelty aud oppression which cannot antl
apology evcn in the lunscios Of protection.
In Great britain, where tho lnatarial con-
dition OF tAs n1ass Of tho people Ia bottar,
mud whore tho ordinary food-cousunptiou