The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-12-22
COMPARING CDNDI IONS.
Secretary Frelin yhuysen Answers the
House of Representatives
ON TIE GREAT LABOR PROBLEM.
~---'-- -
The Rate of Wages and the Cost of
Living Il the
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UNITED STATES AND EUROPE
UNITED STATES AND EUROPE
our heohanics, Artisans and Laborcrs
Have More Money Eat Better Food.
Wear Better Clothes and
Are More Intelligent.
THE EUROPEAN MORE OF A SLAVE

THE EUROPEAN MORE OF A SLAVE
WARRINGTON, Dec. 2l.--S Secretary Ere
linghuysen has sent voluminous letter
TO the house Of representatives,, review
ing the reports from consuls of the
United States in relation TO the state of
labor in Europe. In his remarks the
secretary says: British results are prln-
cipally selected for comparisons, A.
English wages are, generally speaking.
the highest in Europe, and English
trade conditions have more in common
with American customs aud wages than
those of other countries,
He says: IL appears that comparing
the cities of Europe with those of th
United States, that bricklayers ana
masons IN Chicago are paid very nearly
three times tho wages; pastere, s,
nearly four times; skaters, three times;
plumbers, nearly three times; car.
psnters, twice as much; blacksmiths
twice as much; book. binders, more
than twice as much; brick makers,
nearly three times as much; brass
founders and cabinet-makers, nearly
twice AS much; coufecliOners, twice AS
much; cigar-m kers, nearly three times
as much; coOpers, one and one-half as
much; draymem teamSters aud street
railway drivers, nearly twice as much !:
engravers, nearly three times as much !;
iurrlers, twice as much, horse-shoers,
three and one-half times ns much |;
jewelers., more than one and oue
half times as much; labDrers. porters,
etc., more than twice as mu ii; litho
graphers, three times as much; tele.
graph operators, twice and one-hali as
much; sail makers, more than twice as
much; printers, twice and one-halr ~
much; saddlers and harness-makors,
more than one and one-half times ~
much; II vedores, more than twice ana
one-fourth times as much; tailors, twice
as much, and tinsniths one and three
iourths the wages paid TO similar trades
and callings in London.
Relative to the prices oithe necessa.
ries of lite, the secretary SAYS: IL Is
frequently asser'ed that the eheapness
OF living in Europe more than equalizes
the lower wages there paid. In a
volume on labot in Europe, pub
lished by this department I'm 1875. it
was shown that the prices OF food
III the United States were actually lower
than in Europe, and that the working
classes In the United States could pur
rhase more and better, dollar for dollar,
than the working classes Of any country
In Europe. The contrary impression is
probably due IN the fact that the work
ing people of Europe live more cneaply
than the working people Of the uniie
Ia s..N. AL.
the purchasing power of their wages is
greater than tho purchasing power
OF similar wages here. 1t appears
from reports that American workmen
consume more and better food than
mechanics or laboiers abroad and that
the cost OF this food il ns small a. Ia
Europe. IL should loo borne Ia mind
In making comparison that the better
classes ui food b. OF, mutton, veal, but
ter and rice, are not only for the most
part cheaper In the grea. cities of the
United States than In Europe, but they
are here daily necessaries Tor tho better
grade oi skilled wofKmou, rarely absent
l0m some one meal Ot the day, and of
ton present at the morning and evening
meal, while concurrent testimony l.
that even TO the best paid working
classes Of Europe they are in the main
injuries which ara seldom enioyod
The lower class ot Europe usually eat
dark OF black bread 80 tntt even wheat
Hour aud wheat bread WNy loo set aside
S furnishing no sullicimt basis for
comparison. The working classes of
Europe live mainly on black or rye
bread, potatoes, cheap cuiiCo and tea.
vegetables aud s0uus, aud lard and olive
OIL Of low grade take the place OF butter.
lho standard Monday meal of the
Wurhngmen OF MAyol G s thus giy0n ty
Consul Suith; Potatoes aud little
mtul, with peas or beans cooked together
ld tho form OF thick soup, to
which little green cabbage o.
lettuce Is sometimes added. This
dish they eat day after day
with verv little change in the character
OF ITS contents Ol in the manner OF its
preparation. This is the diuner eater
at hls work, The food ui 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, il
conducted on the most economic plan
under the benetclent contrast of the
great CO operative societies, and every
thing IN done that can be done
to bring the producer and the
consumer as directly and closely
together as pos ible at completion,
for the custom which prevails keeps the
handling cost at the lowest possible
minimum, so that prices at 90. onerative
stores In England approximate h.
wholesale prices elsewhere. In general,
clothing can be purchased cheaper In
Europe than In the United STATES, es
pecially clothing of the higher grades.
for n relative quantity and quality OF
clothing. The basis for Identical com
parlson does not exist. The same infil :
once " hicn prompts higher wages paid
wOrkmen In the United States 10 pur.
chase better and more food than
his European c0mrade extends also
to clothing, Tor ho buys more
and better garments. House rent In
Europe is apparently lower than here
but habitations are usually interior tc
those In use here, In Dundee, one oil
TIC most thriving industrial centres IN
Europe, 2,310 persons live In S62 hous, =
one room each; H3H persons i've In lG,
lSI houses, two rooms each, or work
ingmen's homes in Manchester, Consul
shaw writes: "Great numbers o
houses visited by me contained only orc
living-room, and this served as parlor
Kitchen, dining'roOm, sitting-roon, anO
In some instances also as bedroom
The question Of artesans' dwellings
in Great Britain has of late year,
attracted avery large share OF pulic ant
legislative attention, and In no countr,
In the world has the general movement
in the direction of ameloration beer
more earnest aud mo Q successful. o.
the Continent, where conditions of lit,
are not only widely different from thos,
Of England, but exhibit wide contrasti
In several countries, aud even In severa
local districts of the same country, op
portunities tor identical comparison
with analogous conditions In the UniteC
States are rare, and the tables relativ,
70 rent do not afford trustworthy mean
for estimates Of general results. Their
or here, the question IL one O
locality, and the amount Of physlca