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
nsh LabOrer Lives.

mouse OF representatives, reviewing reports
from consuls Of the United States, in relation
to the state Of labor in Europe. In hts re-
marks the secretary saws:
The British results are principally selected for
] comparisons, as English wages are generally
speaking, the highest in Europe, and English
| trade conditions have more in common with
American customs and nsages than those OF other
! countries II appears, comparing the cities OF
Europe with those OF the United States. that
onckiayers and masons ia Chicago are paid
very nearly three times the wages plas;erers
nearly four times, skaters three times, plumbers
nearly three times. carpenters twice blaexsrniths
twice, oookbinders more than twice, brickmakers
nearly three times, brass founders and cabinet
makers nearly twice, confeetioners twice cigar
makers nearly three times. coopers once ana a
! half as much. draymen, teamsters and street
railway drivers nearly twice, dYers more than
twice, engrayers nearly three times, furriers
/ twice. horseshoers three and one-half times
| jewelers. more than one and one half times, Ia
oorers porters etc, more than twice. lithograph-
ers tnree hmes' telegraph operators twice,
printers two and one-half. sailmakers more than
/ twice, saddlers and harnessmAkers more than
/ one and oDe-half times, sIevedores more than
two and one-fourth times, tailors twice and tin
smiths once and three fourths the wages paid 70
similar trades and eallings in London.
THE COST OF LIVING.
Relative 10 the prices Of necessarjes of life.
the secretary says:
| 1t is frequently asserted that the cheapness OF
living in Europe more than equalizes the lower
wages there paid. In a volume on labor in
Europe, published by this department in 1879. IL
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 aliment. dollar
| for dollar, than the working classes OF any
country in Europe. The contrary impression is
probably due TO the fact that the working people
of Europe live more cheaply than the working
people OF the United States, from which is in
terred that the purchasing power Of their wages
/ IS greater than the purchasing power Of similar
wages here. IL appears from the reports
| that the American workman 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 in making compari-
sons that the better classes OF food-beef, NUT
| ton, veal, butter and rice-are not only for the
most part cheaper in the great cities OF the
| United States than in Europe, but they arc here
daily necessaries for the rabble of better grade
of workmen rarely absent from some one meal OF
the day, and often present at the morning and
! evening meals; while concurrent Testimony Is
| that even 10 the best paid working classes OF
! Europe they are, in the main, Injuries which
| are seldom enjoyed. The lower classes of
| EUROPE uSudlig eat DARK or DlQck bread. that
even wheat hour and wheat bread maF be set
aside with meats furnishing no sufficient basis
for comparison. The working classes of Europe
| live mainly on black or rye bread, potatoes
cheap coffee and tea. Vegetables. soups and
lard and olive oil OF low grade take the plsce OF
butter Inc standard MONDAY meal OF the
workingmen OF Mayence is thus given by Con-
sui Smith: Potatoes 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
added This Is eaten day after day with very
little change in the character OF its contents or
Ia the manner ef its preparation. The Is dinner
eaten AZ bis work. The food OF his VIE and
children at home is said 10 be cheaper and less
nutritious. II should not be forgotten that the
MANIPULATION OF rood SUPPLIES,
after they reach England, is conducted on the
most economic plan under the benefcent con-
troll 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, so that the prices of CO.
| operative stores in England approximate TO
! 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 came in
| huence which prompts higher paid workmen in
| the United States TO purchase better and more
valued food than his European comrades
extends also to his clothing, for be buys more
and better garments. House rent in Europe is
apparently lower than here, but the habitafions
are Usually infer. ior 10 those in the United
States. In Dundee. one OF the most thriving in
dustrial eenters in Europe, IS, 700 persons live
! In s,620 houses OF one room each, and 7s,374
persons live in 1851 houses OF two rooms each
| q how Il.
| Shaw writes: "Great numbers OF the houses
visited by me contained only one living room,
and this served as parlor, kitchen, dining room,
sitting room, and, in some instances, also bed
ROOM" The question OF artisans dwellings in
| Great Brittan has OF late years attracted a very
large share Of public and legislative attention and
in no country in the world has a general
| movement in the direction OF their amelioration
been more earnest and more successful. On the
| continent, where the conditions OF life are not
only different from those of England, but ex-
| nlblt wide contrasts in several countries, and
even in several local districts OF the same coun-
try, opportunities for identical comparison with
analogous conditions in the United States are
rare and tables Of relative rentals do not afford
trustworthy means OF estimating general results.
There. az here, the question is one OF locality,
and the amount Of physical comfort obtainable
| by the individual is measured as much by ability
TO pure base and the extent OF demand as by the
nature of the accommodations offered, while both
are lnnuenced and controlled by climatic infu-
ences and by national habits and traditions.
COST OF MANUFACTURE.
The relative cost of manufacture in differ
ent countries is thus treated:
There are certain natural and artificial condi-
tons which so largely affect the conditions of
wages 70 be entitled 10 consideration In any
| analytical examination OF the great questions of
| labor, but from their abstruseness they are less
evident to the general mind and more debstable
than simple relations shown in the reports of
| coDsuls. Ii would be legitimate field of inquiry
TO ascertain what are the conditions which enable
| England TO manufacture machinery and other
products at less prices than similar goods can be
! manpfactured in France, and OF prices equal
4 those in Germany, while rates of wages paid men
engaged in these manufactures in England are
on the whole, higher than those plid for similar
labor in France, and more than double those raid
in Germany.
Secretary Frelinghuysen concludes:
The social and moral conditions of independent
peoples are legitimate subjects of investigation
by another government when they directly affect
Its national policy, but only they may throw
light on the precise spot under discussion In
collecting information for comparison of the
| wages and state of labor at homo and abroad
while consuls were expected to furnish only such
details as might tend 10 establish connections be-
tween individual habits and labors, IL any ex-
listed. review of many of their reports leads To
the conclusion that so far as moral conditions
affect production and wages, or are affected bv
them. the relations. il any, are indirect obscure
| and often c htradictary. Improyidence. IN
temperance aud immortality may often be
found prevalent in communities side by side with
sue essful conditions OF labor. From elements
like these not recncable to statistics. no ef
fective general conclusions can be drawn
The physical and psychical traits Of commpni
ties are most often due 10 natural causes. eli