St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-22
EUROPEAN LABOR.
Secretary ;Frelinghuysen Gives Some
Information of the State Of La
Dor in Europe.
Some Wholesome Reading for Dissatisfied
American Laborers-How the Eng
lish Laborer Lives.

mouse OF representatives, reviewing reports
from consuls Of the United States, in relation
TO tte state Of labor in Europe. In his re-
marks the secretary says:
The British results principally selected for
comparisons, as Euglsh wages are, generally
speaking, the highest in Europe, and English
trssie conditions have more in COMMON with
american customs and usages than those Of other
countries. II appears, comparing the cities Of
Europe with those Of the United States, that
bricklayers and mzsons in Chicago are paid
very nearly three times the wages, piasrerers
/ nearly four times siGtcfs three times, plumbers
nearly three times. carpenters twice, blacksmiths
I twice, bookbinders more than twice. brickmakers
nearly three times, brass founders and cabinet
makers nearly twice, confectioners twice, cigar
makers nearly three times. coopers once and a
half as much, draymen, teamsters, and street
railway drivers nearly twice, dyers more than
| twice, engravers nearly three times, furriers
twice. horseshoers three aud one-half times
jewellers more than one and one half times. la
borers, porters etc, more than twice hthograph-
ers three times. telegraph operaiprs twice,
printers two and one-half. ssiimakers more than
| twice. saddlers and harnessmakers more than
one and one-haf times stevedores more than
two and one-fourth times, tacrs twice and tin
smiths once and three-fourths thewages paid 70
similar trades and callings in London.
THE COST OF LIVING.
Relative TO the prices of necessaries OF life,
the secretary says:
/ 1t IS frequently asserted that the coeauuess OF
liviag in Europe more than equalizes the lower
wages there paid. In q volume on labor in
Europe, published by this department in 1878, II
was shown that 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 alrnent dollar
for dollar. than the working classes OF any
country IN Europe. The contrary impression is
probably due 10 the fact that the working peopIe
ofEurope live more cheaply than the working
people OF the United States, from which is in
! ferred that the purchasing power OF their wages
is greater than the purchasing D over Of similar
| wages here. IL appears from the reports
| thai the American work man consumes
more and better food than. the mechanic
abroad. and that the cost OF this food is as
small In the United States as in Europe
| IL should be borne In mind IA making comnari-
sons that the better classes OF food-oeef NUT
ton. veal, butter and rice-fre not only for the
most part cheaper in the great cities OF the
United States than in Europe, but they are here
daily necessaries for the rabble of better grade
Of workmen rarely abseIt from some one meal Of
the day, and often prefent At the morning and
evening meals; while concurrent testimony Is
that even TO the bsst paid working classes OF
Europe they are, in the main. luxuries which
are seldom enjoyed. The lower classes OF
/ Europe usually eat dark or black bread SO that
]
aside with meats as furnishing no sufi=ient basis
for comparison. The working classes OF Europe
live mainly on black or rye bread, potatoes
cheap coffee ind tea. Vegetables, sonps and
lard and olive oil OF low grade take the place Of
butter. Tne standard MONDAY meal OF the
workingmen OF Mayence is thus given by Con-
sui Smith: Pgatoes and little meat with peas
or beans, cooked together in the
form Of thick soup. to which a
little green cabbage or lettuce Is sometimes
/ IL aten ffer 1oy xrffh
llttle change In the character OF its contents or
in the manner OF its prspnration. This Is dinner
eaten At his work. The food of his wife and
children at home Is said TO be cheaper and less
nutritious. 1t should not be forgotten that the
MANIPULATION OF FOOD SUPPLIES,
after they reach England, is conducted on the
most economic plan under the beneneent con-
trol OF great cooperative societies. Everything
is done that can be done to bring the producer
and consumer as directly and closer together
as possible, and the cooperative custom which
prevails keeps the handling cost at the lowest
possible minimum that the prices OF CO.
operative stores in England approximate tc
wholesale prices elsewhere. In general, cloth
ing can be purchased cheaper in Europe than in
. the United States, especially clothing OF the
higher grades. As TO the relative quantity and
quality OF clothing basis for identi-
} cal comparisons do not exist. The same in
: nuence which prompts higher paid workmen in
valued food than his European comrades
extends also 10 his clothing, for be buys NOR,
e and better garments. House rent in Europe Il
: apparently lower than here. but the hAbitafioni
are usually infer. .ior to those in the Unites
States. In Dundee. one OF the most thriving in
dustral centers in Europe, e3,760 persons live
o in S,620 houses of one room each, aud "A, 37i
persons live in 16, 1S7 houses OF two rooms each
/, or workmen's homes in Manchester, Consu
l Shaw writes stGreat numbers OF the house
faH hs-r 1rrfw
; and this served as a parlor kitchen dining room
, Sitting room, and in some instances, also be,
ROOM" The question OF artisans dwellings ID
I Great Brittan has OF late years attracted YER
large share OF public and legislative attention,
IN no country In the world has genera
movement in the direction of their amelioratio
= been more earnest and more successful. On tn
II continent, where the conditions OF life are no
Il only different from those OF England, but ex
. hibit wide contrasts in several countries. an
even in several local districts of the same coun
try, opportunities for identical comparison witt
e analogous conditions in the United States ar
rare, and tables Of relative rentals do not afor
. trustworthy means OF estimating general result:
There. as here. the, question is one OF locality
e and the amount OF physical comfort obtainabl
S by the individual is measured as much by abiit
10 70 pare hase and the extent Of demand as by tn
= nature Of the accommodations offered while bot
II are influenced aud eontroled by climatic in1u
Il enees and by national habits and traditions.
s. COST OF MANUFACTURE.
, The relative cost Of manufacture in differ
- ent countries is thus treated:
N There are certain natural and artificial condi
! tions which SO. largely affect the conditions O
y wages TO be entitled TO consideration in an
D analytical examination OF the great questions o
J. labor, but from their abstruseness they are les
n eviGent TO the general mind and more debatabl
than simple relations shown in the reports c
y suls. II would be legitimate field of inquir
D. 10 ascertain what the conditions which enabl
10 England To manufacture machinery and othe
? products AT less prices than similar goods can b
- manufactured in France, and at prices equs
Or those in Germany, while rates OF wages paid me
III engaged in these manufactures In England arc
10 on the whole. higher than those paid for simia
labor in France, and more than double those rai
in Germany.
at Secretary Frelinghuysen concludes:
DC The social and moral conditions Of independer
n, peoples are legitimate subjects Of investigate
by another government when they directly affeS
y its national policy, but only they may thro
ay light on the precise spot under discussion i
To collecting Information for comparison Of th
wages AID state OF labor at home aud abroad
while eonsuls were expected to furnish only sue
details as might tend 10 establish connections b
~ tween individual habits and lsbors, IL any G,
ID listed. review of many OF their reports leads
r. the conclusion that so far moral condition
N affect production and wages, or are affected b
them, the relations. IL any, are indirect, obscul
and often c lntradictary- lmprovidence, IL
Temperance and immortality may often
found prevalent in communities side by side wit
,e succe cessful conditions OF labor. From clement
ek like these not recneable 10 statistics, no e
"A fective general conclusions can be drawn
The physical aud psychical traits OF commun
"a ties are most often due TO natural causes, cl
er mate, race. tradition, and 10 virtuous and rel