The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-08
NO. III
The Condition Of Labor in Enrone

! NC OoAo1tAon OF Lapor IN Europe.
| Secretary Frelinghuysen has. sent to the
House of Representatives a review of tI,e
reports Of United States Consuls on Tie
condition of labor in Europe. The seere-
tary says that these reports show tbatatl,e
wages of all mechanics and peoDle work
ing at trades in Chicago are from one to
three times greater than are paid in. Lon.
don. He thinks that the impression that
the cheapness Of living in Europe more
than equalizes the lower wages there paid
is probably due to the fact that the work
ing people Of Europe live more cheaplv
thanthe working people of the United
States.
1T appears from the report. > he saws
THAT the American workman consumes
more and better food than the mechanic
or laborer abroad, and that the cost of tbis
food is as smaliin the United States as n
Europe. Itsnould be bourne in mind il
making comparison that the better
classes OF food, the beef, mutton. veal
butter, and rice, are not only for the most
part cheaper in the great cities of the
United States than Europe. but thew are
mere daily necessaries for the table of the
better grade of skilled workmeD. while
the concurrent testimony is tbateven to
the best paid working classes of Europe
they are, ia the main, luxuries which are
seldom enjoyed. The lower classes Of
Europe usually eat dark or black bread so
that even wheat -four and wheat bread
may be set aside with the meats as fur
nishing no sufficient basis for comparison.
The working classes OF Europe live mainly
on black or rye bread, potatoes. CHEAP cot.
ice and tea, vegetable soups, and lard and
olive oils of low grade takes the place of
butter The standard MONDAY meal of
the Workingmen Of Mayence is thus given
by Consul Smith: Potatoes and little
meat with peas or beans cooked together
IN the form of thick soup, to whicha
little green cabbage or lettuce is some
tlmesadded. This dish they eat dayafterd
Withayery little change in the character of
preparation. This is the dinner eaten at
his work. The food of the wife and chill
dren at home is said to be eheaper andless
nutritious.
1T should not be forgotten that the
of the food supplies. after
they reach England is conducted on the
most economic plan, under the benefcent
control of the great cooperative societies.
Everything is done that can be done to
bring the producer and consumer as d.
rectly and closely together as possible, and
the competition for custom which pre-
walls keeps the handling cost at the lowest
possible minimum, SO that the prices Of
the cooperative stores Of England approx
innate to wholesale.
''In general, clothing can be bought
cheaper in Europe than in the United
States. especially clothing of the higher
grades; but the same influence which
prompts the higher paid workman in the
United States topurchase better and more
varied food than his European comrade
extends also to his clothing, for he bays
more and better garments.
blouse rent in Europe is apparently
lower than here. but the habitations are
usually inferior to those in the United
States In Dundee, one Of the most
thriving industrial centres in Europe.
%, 760 persons live in $500 houses of one
room each; 74374 persons live in 16,187
houses Of two rooms each. OF working
mems homes in Manchester, Consul Shaw
writes: Great numbers of houses visited
by me contained only one living room,
and this served as parlor, Kitchen dining
room, sitting-room, and. in some in
stances. also bedroom .