The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-29
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN woRK1NemEN.

secretary of the late tariff commission, is
contributing very interesting series of in
dustrial papers to the New York Tribune.
The last one is dated from Glasgow, in which
he makes showing of the wages paid
mechanics there, together with the cost of
living. Glasgow is one of the busiest,
thriftiest cities in the United Kingdom, and
as a result the condition of the workingmen
there is greatly better than in most parts of
that country. What can be learned of Glas-
gov, therefore. may be regarded as very
favorable to the country at large. In the
building of iron ships, Glasgow, on the
Clyde, leads the world, and at the present
time this great industry is pushed to its
utmost capacity, so that the wages paid are
a very fair index by which to Judge of the
English mechanics compensation. The
figures given by Mr.. Porter were taken from
the pay-rolls for December, where, in the
language of one of the ship-builders, English
and Scottish workmen always work like
demons" in order to have extra spending
money for the holidays. Every man had all
he could do-"piece workers" and timers"
were all busy, so that the payroll made its
most favorable showing. The writer says:
II made very careful inquiry in regard to
| the wages paid and the social condition of
the workingmen of Dunn barton, and was
| told that some riveterS earned E3 a week, and
platers who had charge of gangs from s3 to
| II week. The average earnings of black
smith were 60 IS; of joiner, Ell 15s, and of
aborers. from los to 1Ss week. The latter,
! | found, were mostly Irish, and they lived in
miserable dens-the single men in lodgings
and the married whole families in one ROOM
| Their midday meal consisted chiefly of bread
and tea"
Here in one brief paragraph is concen-
trated the whole story-the wages and the
way of living of the men who, the Louisville
Courier-Journal asserts dogmatically are in
better condition and receive more for their
wages than the mechanics of America. The
| fortnightly payrols of one of the most cele-
brated of the Clyde shipyards, at the time
noted above shows that the average fort
nightly earnings of each man was 92 los, or
$3.50, so that the average weekly earnings
was but 81 IS, or S625. In this estimate it
must be remembered that the wages of
the best mechanics are included, and of
the aggregate paid the LOGO employees (about
$4,000, but 10 per cent, or f400 was paid day
laborers. An investigation OF the wages of
this latter class showed that each received
trfe over 1Ss per fortnight, or actually less
than $3.50 a week, The average annual earn
ing of all the workmen employed in one of
the great shipyards of Scotland Gncluding
foremen, platers and riveters, and other ex-
$3.50. The census statistics of the United
States for 1880 show that So SOC, 900 was
paid out in wages TO 81 $50 hands employed
in ship building, or about 5000 per annum
1t is thus made plain, from these and other
trustworthy sources that the wages paid at
home in this industry exceed those of Great
Britain by over 100 per cent, for the figures
given from America are for build
ing all classes of vessels, while the
Glasgow wages quoted are paid workmen
on iron vessels only, to whom the highest
wages are paid, more experience and skill be-
ing required. This certainly throws consid-
cradle fight on one reason why England can
build ships so cheaply, to say nothing about
running them after they are built.
But some may say that this difference in
wages is offset by the cheaper means of liv-
ing in England. Mr. Porter says:
The cost of living is much greater than it
| is in the United States. Some idea OF the
| prices OF provisions may be gained from the
following: Beef OF the first quality sells for
"a cents; second duality, IS cents; third quail
! ity ID cents. Bacon is IL cents, pork IS
cents. Milk is is cents per half gallon;
cheese l6 cents per pound; butter 40 cents.
! Bread, potatoes sugar and-a few other arti-
| Giles are somewhat cheaper than they are in
American cities"
The same writer further shows that work
| ingmen's wages generally are much lower in
great Britain than here. Glasgow, as we
have said, is one of the most prosperous
cities in the kingdom, and wages there are
probably as high as anywhere. The follow
ing is table of weekly wages paid in Glas-
gov, prepared by Mr. Porter:
Blacksmiths.. 81 56lHouse carpenters $3.50
Bo"tmakers.. ~ Masons. ---.--. 7.56
Brcklayers 49,. s.l5lPainiers.-.---... 756
Cabnetinakers. 7.5GIPiasterers.----... z SO
Coopers ...-...-.. 600 Plumbers. 1856
lallors ---.----- f'<oi
The following table shows the weekly
wages paid in Berlin:
Biacksmiths 81 80 isisoemakers 81 81
| House carpenters. 4 81 MRsans. ....... a 6S
Coopers... 800 Bricklayers .-.-.. D &C
Taiors. 2S8 Machinists ..-..... $50
;..I;