The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-02
FROM A new POINT.
A Practical investigation of the
English Mechanics Condition.
THE WAGES THAT ARE PAID.
The Man Across the Pond is in Better Circum-
stances Than Americans Gener-
ally Believe.

CLAPHAMJUNcTIoN, London, Oct.i $780,
Especial correspondence of The HERALD. +
mo mechanic in London need be without
job if he is willing to work, and fit for his
screw" said brawny mechanic to me yes
terday evening down at Chapman Junction,
that queer locality in the British capital,
where so many of its laboring men live.
1.-The fact isl he continued, that bust
ness of all kinds seems pushing, and he
who is right and has got an arm on him can
earn good wages. Why, I'll come near talk
ing my three pounds (Sl5) this week, and 1
have taken two pounds ten for good while.
No we have nothing to complain of, and
have taken care of my family in prime
way"
Let me see, said, ''You are carpen-
ter, and take from ten to fifteen dollars
week for nine hours work day, and extra
for over time
u do not know anything about dollars,
but get nine pence an hour for time work,
and can make more than shilling an hour
by the piece, and
IRIS NASTY WEEK
when 1 do not take two pounds $50 or
more"
Are you not an exception to the rule!"
mot at all. Bricklayers, masons. and
other mechanics make fully as much, be-
cause the price per hour is regulated by the
trades societies, but when it is possible all
classes of work are let out by the piece, and
then it depends upon a mans skill and in
dGstry how much he makes, but there are
Very few mechanics worth having that can
not take from two pounds up if they
choose TO.
After much careful INQUIRY l had already
ascertained the facts that this strong work
man put so clearly. There is wonderful
improvement in the condition of all classes
OF working people here, and the demand for
skilled labor can hardly be satisfied, even
In what most people would call this over
crowded metropolis.
You no longer see the hundreds of poor
wretcheS sleeping at night in Trafalgar
square, and in the daytime in the park.
Only three years ago when | spent six
weeks porting over the mysteries of this
wonderful town, that was one of the sad
dest sights | encountered. 1t is no longer
there and there are more bright faces on
the street and general testimony that those
who are willing to work can and get good
wages for it. Perhaps the most powerful
evidence of that fact is that it is next TO
impossible now to get q young man to en-
list in the army, and the government is at
this moment making frantic appeals for re-
crults with very few responses. 1t has re-
cuced the term of enlistment to three years,
and is constantly making regulations
CALCULATED TO ATTRACT THE YOUNG MEN
OF the land to the service If they were in
distress it is quite likely that handsome
clothes and lie of comparative ease would
attract them. But they are getting work
at good wages now, and the army is next to
their last thought.
have taken my carpenter friends as an
example OF the wages paid to mechanics in
London because / found them so perfectly
fair, and such a perfect type of eighteen
other workers among stone masons, brick
layers, cabinet Makers and building trades
Of that character, that / had conversed
with upon the subject. A common laborer
OF the roustabout sort can command his
pound So or more a week, for culinary
enough rough work and very many get 80
shillings $50; drivers and men of that
class from 500 10 S for six days labor.
When you come to take into consideration
the purchasing power OF a dollar to the
English artisan or laborer, this means a
very excellent rate of wages; Indeed more
than is paid to similar class of workers in
New York city, when the difference in the
price of living is for one moment consid-
cred, and of course the only fair COMPARE
son as to living and rates of wages is be-
tween London and Manhattan Island, the
metropolis of the new world as this is of
the old.
"Do you live near here'' asked when
our chat about wages Jagged.
Five minutes walk around the corner.
Come along and get a glass of bitter. Nv
missus got new keg in last night
Together we walked several squares and
finally stopped before very cosy two story
brick house, with pretty little garden in
front and all
THE WINDOWS LAUGHING WITH FLOWERS.
Inside the good housewife brought US some
beer and a bit OF bread and. cheese She
was tidy and the house neatness itself. It
was such home as any man in ordinary
circumstances might be proud of.
What does such house as this costa"
asked over our bitter.
Il am tenant and pay six and six (Sl.62)
week, but have several rooms and a bit
of garden in the back. Lots OF men do
not pay but four and six (Sl.12) a week
They do not get quite SO good a house, of
course but big enough Tor small family''
As locked around the nice little home, l
wondered what d New York workman
would think, if he could rent house and
garden within five minutes walk of half
the railroads leading towards his work and
within not excessive walk of it, if he pre-
ferred to foot il rather than take the cars.
Then il he could keep q small family on five
collars a week, and buy good suit of
clothes for another five. whenever he
needed them, he would not think himself
badly Off This is whatthe English artisan
or iaborer can and does do, including beer
10 drink at every meal
OF course a large number of worllmen
who are obliged to live over in the old city
Of London, or within easy reach of the
Strand, thaG they may be able to get at
their work readily in the morning, are
obliged to live in quarters something on the
order OF small flats, but even their rent
charges do not reach more than TWENTY-FIVE
Or fifty cents a week more than the me-
chanic, who has the little house within
ONE OR TWO PENNY BUS RIDE
from the great traffic thoroughfare. In
fact, very large class of the bone and
sinew OF London life live in the houses. for
the natural tendency of a provdent Eng
lishman is to have home rather than an
partments.
Over in the esat end of London in such
rough districts as Whitechapel, Mile End
Houndsditch, and other familiar localities
many mechanics of the lower order live and
are employed in making cheap furniture
and doing all classes of rough mechanical
work where cheapness and not quality is
the consideration. Even here the rate of
wages is good compared with the class of