Daily Republican., 1889-07-18
AMERICAN AND ENGLISH WAGES.

From the Chicago Evening journal.
The question OF difference between
wages 10 England and in the United
States is the subject for renewed aglta-
ton. But this time the agitation Is in
England, not in the United States. We
have no political campaign now pending
i'll this country TO create discussion on the
subject. But il England there is a move
ment hostile to Free Tale, AMI those
engaged in the effort to establish a sys-
ten like Protection as T. ext Is in t. is
country are contra ting rates OF Anerl-
can wages with those paid In various
English Industries. a recent address By
IL j. Pettifer, Secretary of labor COM
III ttee In tbs English Fair Trade League
shows the progress that public sentiment
is making in hist country. Mr.. PrtIfer
has made repeated visits to tie Unitd
States for the purpose OF p occurring iniof-
ma ion AS to labor qucs tons, and he is
remarkably well equipped with facts and
arguments based on lis American OBJ
3erVatipns.
The story is tile same, whether told by
anti Free-Tradersi ia England or in the
United States, Mr., Puttiier visited thirty
leading manufacturing American towns
and rays the conspi uous lsct which he
working classes OF America ae better
housed, better fed and better clio he'd
Than the working classes OF any other
country on the face OF the earth, aud hat
Protection pure aud simple has produced
thai result An OPT. II OF this kind,
/ coming from an Engl',h wCrkingmAn, is
worth all The mere political theories in
creation
In regard to wages, IL appears that ia
the United States operatives in cotton
mills, including mea women aud chi
dren, earn an average OF s. = week,
willie in England they earn Il 50 u week.
In wOolcn mills American wsgas are Gil
and English wage 81 20. Other in
STANCES are given, the tota average ot
which makes American wages ever
Gouhle the amount OF English wages.
IN regard to The cost oil family Sup.
plies in tie two countries, MIR. P,tt!ier
s5ouid tell his own story, and here II ia:
"Bui, then, the actual figures OF wages
are no test Mt all; what you wal.t IL to
know what you are going to buy W tn
the wages, because il man gets double
wages aud takes 1t all to keep himself
alive Ii is no use having them. | Will
tell You exactly how they stand. viii
give you what 1t costs man to live, not
in New York but all through the cOun-
try AT large. A sovereign or dollar is
bound to buy little tit more food tuerc
than here, because II food Is net cheaper
there than here how en- tLey Afford to
send 1t here and sell ii cheaper than We
can. \ sovereign VIII buy more flour,
more meat, more bu ter, more fee, tea
aud lamp oil there thsn here There is
wonderful thing about hose boots. The
pair have on Mt present cost s3-l2
shillings and Il penCe-in Boston, Amcri-
ca, not in little stop, but IN an ordi.
nary cool shop. The average wages In
my trade-silversm, ani electro plate
wOrker-in America IL So day 2
shl inEs and i rence-and In London
shiilIngs, go it takes on1 days wages to
buy my boots in America, and two days
wages in London. " h'ch country is
cheapest, and which Is dearest In that
particular caset
OF course, this rule as TO prices does
not follow all through the list. House
rent is cheaper in England than here;
but the family OF a latofing man th1e
occupies less room. W oOlcn goods,
sugar and salt are chcaper i'll England
th1n here. But judg ny irum the facts
produced by this Intelligent labcring
man 1t is evident that the 60 OF living is
less here than there. On the other hand,
the American lauoring classe4 have bet
ter schools, newspapers aud literature,
better society, better morals, better
chances to rise In Lille, and better homes,
with all that the best home influence pro-
Iuccs
Free Trade in England s probably in
many ways beneficial to this country.
There is no reason why Americans
should wish En-. land to abandon TIN sys-
n Hut " lt.u yn have Eu-li.h