Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-10-11
FIGURES DON'T LIE.
Starvation Wages That Are Paid In Eel
gium and England

starvation Wages That Are Paid In Eel.
gium and England.
James Campbell. president of the
American Window Glass Workers
Association, has taken many interest
ing notes of observation on his way
home from the International conven-
ton of Glass Workers at Charleroi.
Belgium. In speaking about his trip,
Mr.. Campbell said:
after the convention we started
out to question Belgium workmen in
regard to wages. We told them that
those in America who opposed a pro-
tective tariff on manufactured articles
said that they, the Belgians, received
as high, if not higher wages than
Americans. Through an interpreter
we learned that the common labor in
that country received from so to 40
cents per day; girls II and IA years
old, 10 to 25 cents; painters, 90 to 80
cents; machinists, 80 cents; coal
miners, 60 cents, and women and
girls employed in coal mines, 20 to so
cents All other labor is paid for in
proportion.
"In Charleroi the price of meat
ranges from 10 to so cents per pound.
ham Is to "a cents, and bread is about
the same price as in Pittsburgh. In
Charleroi there is a population of 2S0,
600, while there are only so meat
shops. They, however. dc large
business in the sale of horse and mule
flesh, which costs from to u cents
per pound. Worn-out horses are fat
tened and killed for this trade.
1.-The Belgians are importing raw
material from England, in the shape
of ore, and then the finished product is
sent to England, which has caused idle
ness in several large mills in the latter
country, showing that The Belgians can
undersell the English. The official re-
port states that the Belgium exports to
England last year were S45, 200, 900,
and the Belgium export trade to the
United States increased 33 per cent.
last year.
1--WE then went to England, and from
undoubtedly reliable sources learned
that the wages paid on the Midland
railroad are as follows: Engineers, for
100 miles and return, $500: and fire.
men, S1.56. The head porter at the
London station receives, per week,
$456. For the same length of time,
brakemen receive $500; local brake
men, $6.4S, and track layers, $500.
Policemen. in London, receive S.. 76
per week; firemen, 1916; conductors
on 'busses and street cars, 16 hours
duty per day, seven days in d week,
$6. Y, and common laborers, 1882.
Z" In Sunderland we called upon the
secretary and treasurer of the Trades
Council and obtained the following
statement of the wages paid in that
city: Painters, 81 hours per week,
1920; blacksmiths, So hours per week,
81 Sc; joiners and carpenters. 53 hours,
$7.6S; bricklayers, so hours, S79S;
stonemasons, 80 hourY, $7.9S; tailors,
80 hours. $3.50; engiseers, 81 hours,
81. 6S; street-car conductors, 112 hours,
1886.
I'm South Staffordshi:e, among 800
men employed in one WORKS, we found
that only two men owned their houses.
l made close inquiry and ledrned that
not one man had any money deposited
in either a savings bank or a savings
institution.
cat Cradleyheath we saw AFomen
blacksmiths making trace cha.cs at
81 per week. In Manchester many
women were found carrying the hod.
In other parts of England found that
the wages are about the same.-PittS-
burgh Times.