St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-12-04
GERMAN WAGE.WORkERS.
Onicial Figures Full Of Interest to Ameri-
can WorkinKmen.


Omcial Figures Full Of Interest to Amer
can Workingmen.
The State Department is receiving
large amount of interesting informa
ton from our consular corps abroad
Among the recent reports is the follow
ing in relation to wages and labor il
Germany:
| The common laborers among th,
weavers in the mills around Crefeld
Germany. receive 1886 per week. ant
the day work is little less than twelve
hours. Carpenters, machinists, spin
ners. etc, are paid from 1857 to s.. p
per week. Consul Potter reports tha,
these people are able to live on these
wages, notwithstanding that coffee il
retailed at S3 cents per pound. butter
at 81, beef at IA and salt pork at 1s.
One mill operative gives figures to
show that his family of four costs on
an average SO cents per week for each
for food. 1t is wonderful how they do
it. Cottages are rented to the en-
ployes by the mill owners at about
$40 per year. and If the family occu-
pies the cottage continuously for 19
years then. by a provision of the con-
tract, the property becomes absolutely
theirs. If the promises are abandoned
before the expiration of that time the
renters accumulated rights are for
feited. This advantage of this system
to employees and employers is evident
The proprietor secures and retains
good and skillful workmen. while the
employe, through kind of compul-
sorry system of saving, secures home
for his old age.
Farm laborers about Crefold receive
S7l per year with board. when in
charge of teams. Second laborers are
paid only S39 annually with board. A
farm hand when living separately can
earn Sl42, the wife being paid $11.9O
during harvest time. With the sale of
goats milk, pig and vegetables, the
laborer's family receives 1928 per an
mum.
Farms around Mayence, in the Grand
Duchy of Hesse. are not conducted on
the most advanced principles, and the
land is very much cut up into small
parcels and worked by multitudes of
proprietors, and hand-labor plays an
important part. Twelve years is the
time for which farm is rented, reports
Consul Smith. and the rental is about
1925 per annum per year.
Consul Harper. at Munich, reports
that farms in Bavaria are rented at
S2. 40 to $l.7S per acre, according to
size. Farm laborers receive from 1928
to S71 per year, with board. Day Ia
borers. without board. are paid SO to
AZ cents per day for men, and % to 35
for women. The shortest days work
in winter is ten hours. and the longest
days work in summer is fifteen hours
In Brunswick Colonel Fox reports
that the method of farming is expen-
sive. and the soil is worked to give the
greatest possible yield, especially where
the sugar beet is raised. Here the de-
mand for labor is extended. and in beet
raising all classes of hands are en-
ployed. Country schools are closed at
such periods that the children may help
in wedding out the beets. On the larger
estates there are families which have
bit of land leased from the proprietor
at a nominal rental. the members bind
ing themselves to work ON the estate.
Members of the family receive the
market wages.
In the vicinity of ofGandersheim man,
wife and child will earn 1854 per
annum. The proprietor of the Watsum
estate pays men 36 cents per day, sum-
mer and winter, working eleven hours
laily. Women bind the grain behind
The scythe. and are paid for such work
30 to 81 cents per day. Men earn so
10 II cents.
Consul Dittmer, at Stettin, reports
hat proprietors of large estates use the
American threshing machine to some
extent. Farm laborers are paid 81
,ents per day. They generally live in
small houses belonging to the estate.
In Alsace-Lorraine, Consul Ballow
states that the farm-owners are combin-
NC for an exchange of work. and the |
aborers are demanding higher wages.
Consul Tanner of Chembitz, Saxony.
writes that there are a large number
If ponds of all sizes which stud tile |
ields in all directions and are source
If income to the owners. These ponds
eem with carp which are left to shift
or themselves until they are year
ID when they are it fer the market,
from II to 20 cents per pound.
n the winter the ponds yield ice which
) sold at fair price. The customary
wages paid to hired servants on farms /
5 $57 to men and 429 to women per
ear with board. Field hands receive 63
ents per day without board. women 81
ents.
Consul Bishoff, of Sonnebergh, Thu
ingia. states that in Siegers flannel
actory at Pressneck common hands
re paid $1.67 per week, spinners
3. 81. weavers 1857.
In Bremen Consul Looming reports
hat in the Osnabruck iron-steel works
he wages paid per week of sixty hours
re S3 to $3.50 to ordinary laborers
nd IS to Sc to skilled hands.
In Breslau Consul Dithmar reports
hat agricultural laborers are paid from
l9 to 1924 in cash besides food and
ottage. and the wife of the laborer is
ound to work in the field at IL cents
er day. Agricultural laborers are
aid in Elderfield 25 cents per day with
oard. or 56 to 62A without board
or. ST. Louis Chronicle.
Preparations are under way for
,e beginning of the work of building
,e great bridge across the Hudson
yer at Pouphk eepsie n Y The