Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-22
INTERESTING STATISTICS
Showing the Relative Rates of Compen,
sation Received by the Laborers
of the United States and
England.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 20.
Secretary Freliughuysen has sent a volun-
inous letter TO the House of Representatives
reviewing the reports from the u. S. consuls
in relation to the state of labor in Europe.
Each consular district is spoken of separate
ly and briefly, the wages, habits and Gus
toms, and moral and physical conditions of
the working classes being touched on, as
well as the manner of living prevailing therein
while general resume flor the country at
large is given at the close, the whole con-
cluding with general recspitulation of all
Europe, in which the labor elements of the
several countries are compared with each
other and all these, in turn, with the condi-
tions which prevail in the United States. In
his remarks the secretary says that the Brit
ish results are p-inciply selected for COM
parison as English wages are, generally
speaking, the highest in Europe, and English
conditions have msde, in common with Amer
ican customs and usages than those of other
countries. He says: 1T appears, in COM
psriAg the cities Of Europe with those of the
United States that brick-layers and masons
in Chicago are paid very nearly three times
the wages; plastsrers, three times the wages /;
plumbers, three times the wages; carpenters.
twice; blacksmiths, twice; book binders,
more than twice; brick-makers, pearly three
times; brass founders and cabinet makers,
nearly twice; confectioners, twice; cigar
makers, nearly three times; coopers. once
and half; draymen, teamsters and street
railroad drivers, nearly twice; dyers, more
than twice; engravers, more than three
times; furriers, twice; horse shoers, three
and one-hslf; jewellers, more than one and
one-half; laborers, porters etc., more than
twice; photographers, three times; telegraph
operators, twice and half; sailmskers, more
than twice; printers, twice and a half; sad
dlers and harness makers, more than one
and one half; stevedores, more than twice
and one-fourth; tailors, twice; and tin
smiths once and three fourths the wages paid
TO similar trades and csllings in London.
Relative to the prices of the necessaries of
life, the secretary says: 1t is frequently as
serted that the chespness of living in Europe
more than equalizes the lower wages there
paid. In the volume on labor in Europe
published by this department in 1878 it was
shown that the prices of food in the United
States were actually lower than in Europe,
and that the working classes in the United
States could purchase more and better ali
ment, dollar for dollar, than the working
classes of any other country in Europe. The
contrary impression is probably due to the
fact that the working people Of Europe live
more chesply than the working people of the
United States, from which it is inferred that
The purchasing power of their wages is great
er than the purchasing power of similar
wages here. 1t appears from the reports that
American workmen consumes more and bet
ter food than a mechanic or laborer abroad,
and the cost of this food is as small in the
United States as in Europe. In general,
clothing can be purchased cheaper in Europe
than in the United States, especially clothing
of the higher grades. As to relative quantity
and quality. the clothing basis for an identi-
cal comparison does not exist The house
rents in Europe are apparently lower than
here, but the habitations are usually inferior
to those in the United States.