Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-10-18

Report of the Massachusetts Labor Bareas
-Compari.on Between MRasaehusetts
and Great Britain.

Part ~ Of the Report Of the Massa-
chusetts Bureau Of Statistics OF Labor
contains the comparative prices and cost
of living here and in Great Britain for
the period 1860 to 1888. The details
furnished are very elaborate. The cest
OF living is acknowledged TO be higher
in Massachusetts than in Great Britain,
and the report aims to show in what re
spect. In Great Britain in 1888 grocer
les were .o3 per cent higher than in
1872; provisions 1892 per cent. lower
and fuel 4l.26 per cent lower. IN 1872
groceries were 23.O3 per cent. higher
here than there; provisions 25.74 per
cent higher there, and fuel COL per
cent. higher here. In 1888 groceries
were 1918 per cent higher here; pro
visions 23.08 higher there, and fuel
104.96 higher here. In 1883 for al
grades OF dry goods prices were 1926
per cent. higher here, but for medium
and lower grades used by workingmen
Great Britain had an advantage of only
g of per cent. ALI grades of shoes and
slippers show an average of 60 50 per
cent. higher here than there. but con-
siderlng only medium and low grade, the
price is only 1876 per cent. higher here.
In 1883 in all grades of clothing the av
erage price was 45.06 per cent. higher
here, but medium and low grades aver
aged only 2736 per cent. higher, while
the better grades averaged 5657 per
cent higher. Rents in 1883 averaged
SO 62 per cent. higher in Massachusetts
than in Great Britain. Here the average
rent of one room was &c cents a week,
S2S6 month and s343S year, while
there it was 35 cents q week, Sl.5l q
month and 1892 year. Returns for
board and lodging are very complete,
and show an average of 390I per cent.
higher here than there. In 1883 board
and lodging here for men ave ragged 81. 70
a week, and for women 50. R. Board
alone averaged 1884 n week for men and
g. 56 for women. Lodging alone aver
aged 1920 week for men and 81. 46 for
women. The Massachusetts family av-
erages to earn 55.27 per cent. more than
the family in Great Britain. The head
Of the family averages 803l per
cent. more here and the total family
expenses here are 48!k II per cent. higher
than there. Here family averages to
spend 49, SO per cent. of its income and
to save 6. II per cent. surplus. There it
spends 1924 per cent, and has only
l.76 per cent. for savings.
The report corroborates the economic
laws of DR.. Engel, OF Prussia: The
greater the income the smaller the rela-
tive outlay for subsistence; the percent
age Of outlay for clothing is approx
mately the same, whatever the income;
the percentage of outlay for lod ring,
or rent, and for fuel and light is invari-
ably the same, whatever the income;
as the income increases in amount the
percentageeo Outlay for sundries be-
comes greater. The average annual
family expenditure in Massachusetts, for
1888 was 1854 AZ, and in Great Britain
was S5O8 35. Items OF expense here
were as follows: Subsistence, 81 IS per
cent; clothing, 16 80; rent. 1925, fuel,
c.10; sundries. 1857. In Great Britain
they were: subsistence, 56 45; clothing.
Is "a; rent, 13 66; fuel. A. 50; sundries,
9.53. Conclusions Of the comparison are:
''thht, on any basis Of yearly cxpendi-
ture, the prices of articles entering into
the cost OF living were. on the average,
1929 per cent. higher in Massachusetts
in 1883 than in Great Britain; that Of this
figure 11.49 per cent. was due TO higher
rents in Massachusetts, leaving ) 80 per
cent. as indicative Of the higher cost Of
living in Massachusetts, as compared
with Great Britain as regards the re-
manning elements OF expense. The
grand result" Of the comparison il
"fha. the higher prices IN Massachusetts,
are represented by 50 per cent; that
the increased accommodations in hous-
ing and the general higher standard 0!
living maintained by Massachusetts
rorkingrnen as compared with the stand
/ Ard of living Of workingmen in Grea,
Britain Is represented by A. 81 per cent
on. Of the total greater COS. Of 4s.4l p,
cant Or stated IS direct ratio, the stand
ard o; living 81 Massachusetts, working.
men Is 20 that Of the vorkinguen ol
Grea. Britain as l. AZ Is 70 l."
4 HEgo. In 1879 Ensign Reynolds,
Il ;ne Greely relief party, rescued II
sn,i-oeean the men of the Austrian bark
Oliuo, standing all day in the liie-boa.
III d binding storm. and a.;e. saving
twelve men, he swan from his boat 10
.he Citeo. ard succeeded Ia setting her
W fire.
SLDaEs are generally considered the
bea. vehicles TO, Use ii Arctic explora-
ton, but the rescuers- o. the Gree!v
party we're greatly assisted IN their
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