Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-08-15

In every case. II VIII De no lCcu. wages
are higher in Massachusetts than in Eng
land, and in nine of the tWenty-fUur in
dustricS they are more than twice as
great, while the average percentage in ia
Nur of Massachusetts is 1594. But the
bureau collected also set of wages rang
ing higher than the above average, and
making allowance for that. the conclusion
is reached that the general average week
| ly wages paid to employees III "a mlnufac-
turing and mechanical industries in Mas
sachusetts is ~ per cent higher than the
general average weekly wages paid in the
same industries in Great Britain Wages
by the hour here are i0.sS per cent more
than in Great Britain. Here women's
wages are found to average 81. per cent,
of mems, young persons 1904 per cent, and
children $ -. II per cent. There the ratio
is 1892 for women, 2g.0j for young per
sons, and go for children. In Great
Britain none of the industries considered
pay women over - a week here 63 per
cent of the occupations pay over that,
The report also ccrtpins a comparison of
wages from 1850 to 1883. In the ninety in
dustrics considered the general average
weekly wages was i5.40 per cent higher in
Massachusetts than i'll Great Britain. In
the manufacturing and mechanical indus
tries the general average weekly wages
was 1902 per cent higher here than there
Comparing industries for nine years. by
yearly periods instead of by industries. il
is found that wages here average I9.51 per
cent better than there Averaging the
two. the general conclusion for the whole
inI il. hnl I hDf ma ,rnp ny tr,.
weekly wages of the employees in the in
dustries considered was ,,.49 per cent
higher in Massachusetts than in Great
Britain.
/ The cost of living is of course an import
! ant item to be considered in making such
comparisons rs those given above. The
report we are considering gives statistics
on this point also. The cost of living is
higher in Massachusetts than in England.
In 1883 groceries were l6.lS per cent higher
here: provisions BIOS higher there, and
fuel l04 96 higher here. Here the average
rent of one room was 66 cents Il week,
S2.S6 IA month, and S:A.3S Il year while
there it was 35centS week, 81 81 Il month,
and sls.02 year. Returns for board and
lodging show an average of 1901 per cent
higher here than there. Here Il family
averages to spend 93. 80 per cent of its in
come and to save Gil per cent surplus.
There it spends 1874 per cent. and has
only l.16 per cent for savings. Conclu-
sions of the comparison are that, on any
basis of yearly expenditure the prices OF ar
ticles entering into the cost of living We're,
on the average 1929 per cent higher in
Massachusetts in 1883 than in Great Brit
ain that of this figure II 40 per cent was
due to higher rents in Massachusetts,
leaving $50 per cent as indicative of the
higher cost of living in Massachusetts as
compared with Great Britain as regards
the remaining elements of expense" The
report on this points sums up that the
higher prices in Massachusetts are repre-
sented by 80 per cent ; that the increased
accommodations in housing and the gen
eral higher standard of living maintained
by Massachusetts workngmen AS compar-
ed with the standard of living of working
men in Great Britain is represented by
~ I'll per cent out of the total greater cost
of 4S.4l per cent or stated as IA direct ratio
the standard of living of Massachusetts
workingmen is to that of workingmen of
Great Britain as LAP is to |.