The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-12-25
Nc Rate Of Wages aud the Cost Of
Li,ius The
UNITED STATES AND EUROPE
ssr Mechanic, Artisans and i-ah.'sFs
Rave nor, Ne, ~, tat Hstt~r Food,
Wear Better tioihe. aud
Are Mare Intelligent
TIE EUROPEAN MORE oFAsLAVs

10 the house Of represontatlN - review
ing the rep ria from oonsuls OF the
United States Ia relation 20 the state al
labor In Edrupo. Ia his remarks the
aecrctary says: Briti,h results aru prin-
Gpaiiy selected for comparisons, HS
English wages are, generally speaking,
the highest IN Europe, ana English
trade conditions have more ~ common
with American Cu-tuuIs aud wages than
those of other countries.
lie SAYS: IL appears that comparing
the clues of Europe with those vi the
United States, that bricklaycrs aud
Basons Ia Chicago are paid very nearly
three times the wages; pla>teru -,
nearly four TIMES; skaters, three tluir~;
plunbe.s, yearly three tunes; car
penter-, twice a. much; blacksu,ith-,
twice as much; book. binders, more
than twice M much; biiCk mHk 9,
nrarly three times Hs much; brs>S-
founders aud Cdhiupt.nakers, nearly
twice ~ much; couiectlUners, twice AS
much; c'gar-tu krrs, nearly three tunes
~ much; coOpers, one and - t-balf us
nuclt; draYiuon, tcamstUrs aud street
railway drivers, nearly twice rs much;
sngraNers, nearly three tiuIeS as niuCH;
furIiers, twice a. much, hol se-shocrs,
three aud one-halr times rs nnOu;
jewellers, more than one and one
nnll tlfiif, - lhb iEtINs y bILHlS,
etc, nore Than twice as ma Ii; lithD
gfaphors, three times rs much; teie-
graph operators, twice aud uua-htit rs
nuch; sail makers, more Than twice ~
much printers. twice ana One-lidii ~
much; saddlers aud hhrness-ntakers,
more ihau one and one-haIf times ~
much; sieNcuores, more than twice aud
one-iuurth times rs much; tHilUrS, Twice
as much, aud tinsIniLhs one and three
fourths the wages paid 10 similar trades
and caliugs IN London.
ReiaLive to the prices o. the necUSsa-
nes OF lie, tho secretary says: | is
frequently a-ser cd that the cheapurss
Of living In Europe more than eqUdlizos
the lover wages there paid. In n
volume on labor in Europe, pub
lsh,d by Ihi, department in 1919. II
was shown that the prices OF iVpi
In the United States were actually lower
than in Europe, and that The working
classes in the Unit States could par
CHASE more and better, dollar Tor dollar
than the working classes al amy country
IN Europe. The contrary impression is
probably due IT, the TACT that Jne WORK.
Ing people of Europe live more cneapiy
than tue working people OF the unite
States, from which IL is inferred that
the purchasing power of their wages is
greater than the purchasing power
of similar wages here. 1t appears
VIAL american hOl
oOnsuWe more aud better food than
mechanics or labOrers abroad and tuat
the cost Of this food is AS small AS in
Europe. II shoulu be borne in mind |
In making con;;arisup that the better |
classes VI iood-b Of, mutton, veal, but |
ter and rice, are not only Tor tie most
part cheaper in the great cities OF the |
United States than IN Europe, but they |
are here daily necessaries for The better !
grade OF skilled work nien, rarely absent |
from some one meal of the day, and Of
ten present at the morning and evening |
meal, while Concurrent testimony IL |
that even To the best paid working |
classes of Europe they are in the main
luxuries which ars seldom enjoyed. |
The lower class Of Europe usually eat
dark or black bread, 20 that even wheat
-four aud wheat bread may be set aside
az furnishing 10 sufficient basis Tor |
cOmparisun. The working classes Of |
Europe live mainly on black or rye
bread, potatoes, cheap coffee and lea,
vegetables ana SOUPS, and lard and owe
oil OF low grade take the place OF butter.
The standard Monday meal OF The
workingmen OF Msyene S thus given py
Consul Smith: Potatoes and lttlo
meal, with peas or beans cooked together
In The form of thick soup, to
which little green cabbage or
lettuce is somet.Hes added. THIS
O1Sl Iuty GU udN Aust OdJ1 !
with verv little change in the character
of It's contents % in the manner OF its
preparation. This is The diuner eater
Ut his work. The food ii his wife and
children at home il said to be cheaper
and less nutritious. IL should not bel
forgotten that the manipulation of foOdj
supplies, after they reach England, isl
conducted on the most economic planl
under tue beneiicient contrast of the
great cooperative societies, and every
thing is done that can be done
TO bring the producer and the
consumer as directly and closely
together as possible at coinpletinn,
for the custom which prevails Keeps the
cost at The lowest possiblel
81 that prices AT co onerativej
stores in England approximate to
wholesale prices elsewhere. Ia general,
can he purchased cheaper in
Europe than in the United STATES, es |
pecially clothing OF the higher grades,
for a relative quantity ana qualify of
clothing. The basis for identical com
pa rison does not exist. The sane inill Il
ence W hich prompts II ghcr wages paidl
workmen i'll the United States 10 pur-
CHASE better and more food than
his European cOinrade extends also
TO clothing, for he buys more
and better garments. House rent in
Europe Is apparently lower Than here,
Dub dl0 usually W ,
those in use here. In Dundee, one of
III 9 must thriving industrial centres in
Europe, 1870 persons live in So houses,
one rooui each; "a 1874 persons live III 49,
1877 houses, two rooms each. or WORK.
lDgmen's homes in Manchester, Consul
Shaw writes: "Great numbers of
houses visited by me contained only one
living room, and this served as parlor,
kitchen, diciug-room, sittipg-rooin, and
IN some instances also as bed-room.t
The question of artesans' dwellingsi
N Great Britain has Of late yearai
attracted very large share of pplic andi
attention, and in no countryi
10 the world has the general movement}
10 the direction. OF anelioration been
more earnest and moe succes sful. Ouf
he Continent, where conditions of litet
ire not only widely different from those
Of England. brit exhibit wide contrastsl I
u several countries, and even In severaIj q
ocal districts of tho same country, op-i I
3ortunities for identical comparison
With analogous conditions in the United
states are rare, aud The tables relativel ,
% rent do not afford trustworthy means I
or estimates of general results. There U
" here, the question is one OF
ocaIity, and the amount Of physical
comfort obteipable by individuals meas q
lred rs much by locality to purchase O
nd extent OF demand as nv the nature
II the accommodation offered, while '
10Th are Influenced and controlled by
Innate Influences and by national L
labits and traditions. The relative cost 2
4 manufacture in different countries 3
! thus treated: There ara certain nat 9
raj and artificial conditions which so q
arRoIy effect the direct connections Of b
vsk6s Is To no cntitled to consideration b
3 any s,slx.issl exsminstion Of ths y
: 4 y n u ~ n I. y. =. !. 4 ! r