National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-11
aEnMAN Aan1cuLruRALIsrs.

An Interesting Report by Consuis Fox
and Dithmor on the Wages OF Work.
men.
The consul at Brunswick, Germany, Mr..
Fox, transmits report on agricultural
labor In the duchy Of Brunswick. The rate
Of wages paid TO agricultural labor, de-
pends upon the locality where such labor is
employed, being considerably higher In
the level than in the mountainous districts.
In the former the wages Of a man and wife
aggregate sl04.20 per annum, while in the
mountainous districts man and his wife,
assisted by child, earns but $lsl.92 In
the district OF Wolfenbuettel the laborer
receives a cash wage entirely OF 35 cents
per day, summer and winter, working time
. to Il a. IN. and TO 6 p. IN. Women are
paid 10 cents for the same time. \ man
will earn from 504 to II cents per diem
moving, and woman from 30 TO 30 cents
for gathering behind the scythe Men and
women earn from 30 TO a cents hoeing, and
from a. to 80 gathering beets. In this latter
work children are also employed TO cut off
the leaves, and child from 10 TO l2 years
old will earn, for period Of three TO four
weeks, "a cents daily. In the matter Of
beet culture contract labor is sometimes en-
gagged, cash wages being from % to 30 cents
per diem. Often donation Of u cents per
diem is given, providing the laborer re-
mains steadily at work until the contract
expires. Each employe receives from 20 to
40 cents hand money upon entering into
the contract, and extra hours are paid for
at the rate Of 2, 3, and cents per hour. AS
a rule, every five or six work people receive
one quart OF milk and often one pound of
bread per head daily, with coffee in tho
morning and n warm meal at noon and
night, with meat on Sunday only.
Consul Dithmor, at Broslau, Germany,
has also made report relative to agricul-
tural labor. He states that the laborer
usually lives upon the estate and is en-
ployed upon II the year round. The work.
ing hours are, In summer, from q. IN. to
Up. M, and In winter, from sunrise to sun
set, He is given free lodging and free fuel,
and IL is customary, also, TO allow his
family the use Of 100 square rods of land
for raising vegetables. As direct wages he
cash and "A bushels Of rye, 3 bushels
of barley, 3 bushels ofpeas, and
II bushels Of wheat. The laborer's
wife is bound to work In the field when
ever required, and receives for days work,
in summer, 12 to IA cents, and in winter, 10
to IL cents. OF tea, meat, tobacco, and
schnapps the farm laborer gets but
u
dom, and his tobacco is unmanufactured
leaf In harvest time he is treated to
schnapps to encourage him in his work.
The government tax Is no longer paid by
farm labOrers, but the communal Income
tax amounts to 80 or 20 cents year. A
writer on economic subjects figures that
laborer's family, consisting Of himself,
wife, and five children under 12 years,
can subsist for $l.091 week, or $57 year.
InthmDr n ct af
ment of the wages paid to miners and mine
laborers, showing that they receive daily
from 523 cents (which is paid to foremen,
| engineers, and carpenters) to 1S1 and 10
cents paid to women and minors. The
average cost Of the subsistence Of q miners
! family, including rent, clothing, and taxes,
, amounts to Sl22.S2 per annum. The rents
! paid by miners range from 80 cents TO $l.1 %
per month.
THE TEXTILE INDUSTRIES.
Mr.. Warner, United States consul at
Cologne, has made report to the Depart
ment of State on the financial results Of
textile industries OF Germany, from which
1t appears that, next to the iron and steel
industries, the textile branch occupies the
foremost rank in the manufacturing inter
ests of Germany. The latest statistics show
that the share capital Of all the important
companies engaged in this manufacture
| uulOunlS 10 no lebS Juuu cOO,UUU,UUU. MOI
many years back these companies amounted
to only few Of any Importance, but lately
they have increased to about fifty large
cotton mills in good working order, and
supplied with all the latest and most i'm
proved machinery, and not infrequently
competing successfully with the leading
cotton mills Of Great Britain. Most Of these
mills are located in south Germany, where
this industry is pushed with great vigor.
Tables are given showing the interest yielded
during the past four years ON the capital
invested in the principal companies. The
total invested capital Of forty-nine com
panies is estimated at about $25, 100 900.
The greatest rise occurred between 1881 and
1883, and continued up TO 1884, when q
slight retrograde movement began. While
the upward tendency has been checked, and
the decline for 1885 is not very marked, the
fact remains that the good financial results
of the preceding years have ceased to APP
pear. According to present indications the
industry will experience a further curtail-
ment, and financial results will gradually
recede to those Of 1881 aud 1882. These
results ought not to be regarded as dis.
couraging, In view Of the present stagnant
condition Of the other great industries IN
Germany. For instance, thirty of the
largest mining companies, with an invested
capital Of about $50, 900, 900, paid in 1884 au
average dividend Of 3.4 per cent, which IN
1856 fell to 10 per cent.