The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-02-10
WORK in EUROPE.
rwo oouNrn1Es ooMrARED.
con.ul.. Report. to The Governmsnt-rslti.
mony of Men on the spot-Ths Adyant.
ages Of the working Glasses in thls
couatry--Nail Making in England.

I b.
Department has issued volume contain
ling reports from United States Consuls OF
the state Of labor in Europe, showing the
average wages paid laborers and the man
ner in which the laboring classes live
This volume is similar TO one published
in 1873 by the State Department, and the
Information 1t contains will be Of greai
value to the newly formed Bureau of La
Dor rs we'll rs interesting TO those who art
interested in the study Of economic ques
tons.
A number OF interesting incidents illus
trating the. manner OF living among
the European laboring classes are furnish
ed by the consuls. Thus Mr.. Mason, Con
sui at Dresden, Germany, writes touching
the labor Of women and dogs:
IN GERMANY.
can important factor in the labor ol
Germany is the labor Of dogs. have
heard It estimated that women and dogs
harnessed together do more hauling than
the railroads and all other modes of con.
veyance of goods united: Hundreds Of
small wagons can be seen every day on all
the roads leading TO and from Dresden,
each having dog for the near horse,
harnessed. while the of horse is q
women with her left hand grasping the
wagon tongue to give 1t direction and the
right hand passed througla loop in rope
whichis attached to the axle, binding her
shoulder; thus harnessed, woman and dog
trudge aleng together pulling miraculous
loads in all sorts OF weather."
"The vitality and indomitable endur-
ance OF the German race are most forcibly
illustrated by these ewomen-workers who,n
adds Mr. Mason, "are the descendants OF
the matrons who bore the soldiers who
fought under Arminius and bafIied, cap
tured and destroyed the Roman legions
in the forests of Germany, and arc them
selves the mothers Of the men who car
ried victory on their bayonets. from the
fields Of Grayelotte, Metz and Seban."
TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF GERMANY.
Cresfeld is the chief center OF the tex
tile industry Of Germany, much of which
is conducted on hand looms in the homes
OF the artisans. According to Consul Pot
ter's report there are about G6,0O0 persons
employed in these textile industries, OF
whom 55 900 are weayers. The men who
would break down the tariff rates OF this
country will see in the two examples fur
nished by the Consul at Cresfeld the con-
dition to which American textile opera
tions would be reduced should free trade
theories prevail. Here are two examples
showing how the weavers live;
can Intelligent young silk weaver Of
Cresfeld, 90 years OF age, who has worked
at the trade siuce he was II years OF age,
an expert in his business and consequently
having choice Of work, informed the
Consul that by working from thirteen TO
fifteen hours per day at his loom he could
earn S. 81 per week, Very few weayers,
he said, could earn this wage, s to 10
marks, about S9 per week, being the aver:
age wages earned by the weayers OF GreS.,
field. Beinga single man he was able to-
get along on his wages" b.f
"H. W., weaver in st. Huberte, 80
years Of age, has wife and three children
and one assistant; velvet weaver, three
looms; one for himself, one for his wife
and one for his assistant. These looms are
set MP in one room, 10 by 19, which is also
the living reom, where they cook, take
meals; and do the househald work. The
united earnings Of husband and wife
amount TO s. 50 per week; one.third Of
Che assistants wages also goes to the fam
lily: This gives q total yearly income Of
S226 81 Tor the hHsbapd, vile and three
children. He has worked at his trade 81
years, has worked all the time, but saves
nothing: Hours Of labor are from 4 a. NJ.
to ?. y. In summer from 7 A. N. to9p.
N. in winter.
"0n a weekly wage rate Of 50 80, for FIVE
in the family, the food consists Of bread
and coffee and sometimes butter at IA. NJ;
coffee or beer and bread at 10, soup and
vegetables apa sometimes bacon at noon,
bread and coffee at p. NJ, and potatoes
only ut 8 p. ". Fhia may be said to DO the
daily diet, except in dull times, OF the Co.,
900 weavers and their families. In regard
TO saving up for old age this velvet weaver,
a most intelligent man, said he could not
save anything. 'old agep exclaimed the
weaver; there is no use In bothering our
old age.'n
COMMON LAgoRRRs.
"The following is summary Of an in
teryiew with laborer who works op the
government highway; Wages, ss6s per
msnth, without supplies Of any kind; /;
hours nf labor, 0 A. ". to 7. ", with half
an hour for dinner Self and Eife-fam-
lily having grown up and left him. Thinks
his lot represents the lot OF large portion
Of the laboring class Of Germany. Coffee
and black bread for breakfast, vegetables
and and soup y. p, iar dipHeF busteFmllk aid POta-
Consul King, Of Birmingham, England,
writing OF the local distress prevailing re.
fers 10 the handmade nail region, where
great suffering pSists, Here is an example
which furnishes IN pnansgef4bl5 argu-
ment for the maintenance Of . protective
tariff on nails, to the end that American
nail makers may not be REDUCED TO the ex-
tremities experienced by the nail makers
OF England. Says . woman who makes
tacks at st. 9uehtain to Consul King; ~
get paid by the thausand. The card price
Is II cents per 1000, but / atn glad to take
the work at 143 cents, it is so hard to get.
81 10. My husband is gardener at the
college AaIH w Rlla eSFHs slHlllngS per
week, but works very long ho4rs. hur
total income Is $275 50 per year. Mostly
all the FORCES In st. Quentaln are idle, and
women nail makers 30 10 Birmingham to
do scruhblng or other york, walking four
miles TO and Tour from the work. Has y
brother q nail maker; himself and his
wife both work st the trade, and earn
about Ii shillings per week, or Sill ss per
he Jorge, they have & rs 81 PET I' week farr
food and fuel. Their food consists OF what
they call bread and butter, but I call It
bread and scrape, with bit Of bacon at
times, They hardly eyer see fresh meat.
| donot think the children get enough to
eat. meyer knew 90 maGh suffering
among the people. Many Of. them are
starving" z
80