Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-01-11
LABOR NEWS FROM LANDS OF THE
OLDER WORLD.
The Pitiable Condition OF Europe
Workers Graphically Pictured.

The Pitiable Condition OF Europe's
Workers Graphically Pictured.
Truth collates from the official re.
ports Of the United States Consuls the
following facts showing labor's pitt
ble condition in Europe:
BELGIUM.
The lives of mechanics here are con-
tinual struggles for mcager subsistence
and nothing but the severest economy
enables them to live. At the very
best, the lot of worknen of Belgium
is an unccasing battle against want.
FRANCE.
Nite-The mechanics food consists
principally of Indian meal, vegetables,
and black bread. Meat he rarely is
able to obtain.
Marseilles-Not only must the hus-
band but his wife and children must
also labor in order to give the family
the barest necessities of life.
GERMANY.
Bremcn-Same report as from Mar
seilles, France.
Brunswick-Same.
Dresden-Hcre workmen "pass with
the estate" as would slaves. wages
are merely nominal and name.
Leipsic-Females are largely en-
ployed in business houses and the
ma ority of the labor in the fields is
done bv women.
Chemnitz-Thc same as in Mar.
settles. Tramps abound. Poverty
and misery abound.
Frankfort Butter and meat are
never found on the table Of even
skilled III cchanics.
Sonneburg and Mannheim--Black
bread and potatoes are labor's usual
food. Misery is extreme.
ENGLAND.
In the Lancashire coal mines fe-
males are regularly employed in I'M
derground labor at wages that Just
enable them to live. Betty Harris,
aged 81, drawer in a coal pit, re-
Gently testified: 81 have a belt around
my waist and chain between my
legs to the truck. pull the truck by
crawling on my hands and feet; the
road is very steep, and we have to
hold on by anything we can catch hold
of. There is no rope. There are six
women and six boys or girls in my
pit. 1t is very wet and the water
comes up generally to my thighs; my
clothes are always wet. work Is
hours and make 9d Us cents) per
day"
Patience kcrshaw, aged II, clad in
ragged trousers and al trough jacket,
testified: 81 work in these clothes;
that bald place in my head is made
by thrusting the cones; the coal-get-
ters in our pit are naked. They pull
off their clothes to work. All the
men-folks are naked at work. We
women-folks live to be about % or 80.
No we don't want to live any longer.
We have to do this work or starve.
never was at school. Don't know how
to read or write. Went to the pits
when | was five or six years old.
Work II to l6 hours; get 1Od Go
cents a day, if can make it.
The food of laborcrs is principally
potatoes. Wages from ii to 20 cents
per day
Thousands of women are employed
i'm the fields. Their average wages
Il ! III
food is oatmeal and potatoes.
Women and children are compelled
TO work also in order to enable the
family to live. They as we'll as the
men drown their miseries in drink
whenever it can be obtained. The
poverty and misery are horrible.
The laborer here seldom if ever is
able to eat meat. Women and chill
dren are universally compelled to la
Dor in order to live.
The food of the laborer is generally
bread soaked in water to which is
added little oil and vinegar.
"A Paris actress AYERS that aach nor |