Connecticut western news., 1879-05-14
LOW WAGES AND DEAR FOOD.
HARD LINEH FOR MEN WHO WORK FOR THEIR DAILY BREAD-AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

LETTER FROM ENGLAND.
 England has long been considered the country of low prices. Certainly many things have been very low, and are so even now; but it is somewhat remarka- ble that amid all this supposed cheap ness the very things that are most ab- solutely necessary, and of which men need the most, are invariably dear, and have been so these many years past. What matters it that man may get shaved for 8 penny and his hair cut for two- pence, if he must at the same time pay $1 50 bushel for potatoes as an aver age price for many years past, and $1.50 or $2 bushel for the most ordinary qualities of apples2
 Here is the secret of the whole mat ter: In whatever department prices are low, the cheapness is almost wholly due to the pauper prices paid to the work man who makes the article. The type i setter may get shaved for penny be- cause his brother workman, the barber, gets very paltry wages, and the barber in turn may buy bible or prayer book for very trihing sum, because his brother workman, the type setter, gets only starvation wages for setting up the type. Each one absurdly thinks him. self fortunate in being able to get these wants supplied at so low a price, and landlords and capitalists are very glad to have the working millions believe thus that they are benefited by robbing Peter to pay Paul, and then in turn pick ing Paul's pocket to recompense Peter for his previous loss.
 The current price for shaving is two cents, and for hair cutting four cents. There are shops where four cents is the charge for the former and six or eight son pays these rates half dozen pay the lower rates named. Newspapers are very cheap. The Tunes and few other papers are indeed triae high, but the nearly universal plice is two cents. Books are also very cheap, as compared with their price in the United States.
 The heavier and finer kinds of cloth ing are also cheap. Excellent trousers of Scotch tweed are made to measure at about $3, and entire suits of the same also made to measure-for BIO to $12. Omnibus and cab fares are also very low. If all these cases of cheapness be closely examined it will be generally found that the paltry wages paid to the workman are the chief cause of such cheapness. The barber will shave you for two cents, for the reason that where he is an employee he rarely gets above $l day, and where he owns the shop the public is willing to allow him only about the same pay as an unskilled workman, for such he is considered here.
 Your newspaper and book cost very little money, because the workmen who make the paper, set the type, and stitch and
 bind the books are men, women and girls who get barely enough to buy bread.
 The merchant tailor also sells his goods low, because the weaver and the journey
 man tailor also get most paltry wages.
 A New York journeyman tailor would not look at the wages paid to such work
 
 men in London.
 But nearly all the substantial neces-
 saries of life, except clothing, are very
 high here. The price of the best coal
 in London is now twenty-six shillings,
 about $6.25, the ton of 2,240 pounds,
 and one or two shillings less for me.
 dium quality. It is not at all equal to anthracite. For an American ton oi
 2,000 pounds the best coal here would
 be at the rate of about $5. 60. This is g high price for coal, but is about the
 averagefo some years past. Two months
 ago the price was 75 cents higher thar
 at present.
 House rent in London is not much different from rents in New York. A ) house renting for $150 year will in volve the occupier in about $50 more ai taxes, and this will include the water rate. The occupier always pays the taxes. This is the rase is London, and such house is usually occupied bJ l families whose incomes are from $500 te , $500 year.
 Bread is now selling at twelve cents { 7 pound for the four pound loaf, that is ? at three cents 8 pound. The presen } price is unusually low, however, and i has not been so low more than three ol D four times in the last forty years. The t average price for the last ten yeari 3 has been just about four cents pound 2 The average wholesale price for wheat Ii l now about $1.10 bushel, as compared 2 with $1.75 throughout the year 1877. z The choicest cuts of beefsteak ar, t never under thirty five cents a pound, ,ant a good ordinary steaks average abou g thirty cents. Joints of beef are nov ; eighteen or twenty cents pound, agains 8 about twenty-cents two years ago. Nut l ton is only @ little lower than beef
 American fresh beef and mutton hay, d had the effect of lowering prices yer, much, but American bacon and ham v - have lowered the prices of these article 7: much more than in the case of fresh bee l. and mutton. The tremendous import ]. of bacon and hams in the past two year have forced down prices at retail full, u ;. ten cents a pound, and the wholesal # price has been effected even more. Tn a American canned meats are now becom l. very popular, and all good provision It stores keep them. The canned corne !; beef very universally sells at sixteel V V cents pound. It comes mostly fror d Chicago and St. Louis.
 l. Eggs are mostly imported from Franc d and Ireland It is hard to pet them aI