Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-18
THREE GERMAN WORKHEE.
WHAT THEY EARNED AND HOW THEY
SPENT IT.
Some Highly Significant and Instructive
tatistics-Industry ana ECONOMY
Not Enough in Germany.

The courtesy of the Secretary of the
Freies Deutsches Hochstift, in Frankfort
on-the- Main, has placed in my possession,
saws a Munich correspondent of the New
York Epening Post, some social studies
made by its members among the workmen
in that city, which touch so many social
and economic interests that an account OF
their chief results may be of value to
those who use, or compete with, the pro-
ducts of German industry, as well as to
students of political, economic and social
legislation.
The aim of these studies is to show how
workmeh under average conditions live In
Frankfort, one of the chief cities of Ger
many; how their insufficient earnings are
supplemented; by what means and through
what privations they make both ends meet
For this purpose it was by no means neces
sary to make very many observations. The
narrow conditions of the German laborer's
daily life make any normal family typical
of very large number, and the observers
were able to simplify without affecting the
accuracy of their calculations by choosing
workmen who lived in the city, received,
as far as might be, permanent employment
and payment only in money. Care was
taken also to select families living apart,
without relatives or other dependents in
their houses. and whose children were not
above school age.
The immediate incentive to this task
seems to have been an assertion of Rod
bertus that "the amount of food, clothing
and accommodation that the average work
man is able to procure for his wages has
been steadily decreasing for thirty or forty
years" "The poverty of the working
classes never allows their income to take
any part of the increase in production"
If these statements are true, it is of the
greatest economic Importance for Germany
and for her competitors to know it, and
here the question finds most careful and
judicious answer.
In their investigations the Frankfort
economists had but one example, and that
seemed fit rather to be avoided than FOL
lowed. In 1884 committee was ap-
pointed ito inquire into the condition of
the Bristol poor" but the report suffered
from the Incorporate zeal of its friends,
the clergy, and the advocates of total alb
stinence. 1t was resolved to make the
Frankfort studies less general, but more
detailed and dispassionate.
Frankfort is the wealthiest city for its
population in Germany. At the time of
this investigation it had 10000 inhabit-
ants. and of these less than 5000 adults
with about 5000 dependents, received pub
lie charity. But 35,2S7 self-supporting
adults were freed from taxes because their
annual income for their own and their
family's support was less than 900 marks.
Beside these, 8, 1856 persons were taxed on
incomes ranging from 900 to 1850 marks,
S216 to 1852, and 1896 others earned less
than S28S. OF these 1859 self-support-
ing adults, at least two-thirds were mar
ried, and it is reasonable to suppose that
they represent at least 127,0 900 persons, or
more than three-fourths of the population.
Clearly, then, it is among those having in
comes from 900 to 1000 marks, S2l6 to
$2SS, that the typical working family
must be sought. Whether these are as in
dependent. of charity as the city report
seems to show will appear presently.
A joiner who has had for several years
steady work in the State Railway shops, a
man in the chief chemical works of the
city whom his employers describe as a
steady and valuable workman, a iobber
whose good testimonials finally earned
him a place as nightwatchman, such men
cannot be regarded as unfavorable speci-
mems of the working class. All of them
were intelligent men and took a lively in
terest in the accounts they were asked to
keep of their receipts and expenses, and
though the first alone succeeded in pro-
ducing an exact balance, all the records
showed plainly that they were honestly
made. For small remuneration to be
paid at the end Of the year, these men
were asked to note all that they received,
both as wages and as gifts of money or
otherwise, and all that they expended for
whatever purpose. Every week or month
their accounts were carefully examined
with them, and so they give us a true and
fairly complete picture of their daily life
The joiner had wife and three chill
dren. A fourth was born during the year.
Death had relieved them of six other
children, though they had been married
but thirteen years. In this interval they
had moved nine times, their best furniture
had been seized for rent, and the wife had
brought an action for divorce, which was
not granted. The family was then living
in one room twelve feet square, with sort
of alcove at the end twelve feet long and
four wide, in which was the only win
dow There was also a kitchen 6x8 feet,
with window opening on corridor where
clothes could be dried. One closet suficed
for five families. The ground floor of the
house was a stable. Owing to defective
building, their dwelling was very cold in
winter and hot in summer, yet the re-
porter, with a wide experience in city
charities, can say that sin many and inn
portant particulars this mans dwelling is
better than those of many of his fellows"
and it is also exceptionally cheap, costing
but IA marks month, or $40 80 year,
while the usual monthly rent for a room
and kitchen in Frankfort and in most Of
the larger German cities is from Is to 20
marks, or SAG 0S to S57 60 annually, aud
two rooms can hardly be had for less than
S72. Indeed, there is very sharp COM
petition for the cheaper dwellings, for
AuSAt are hOk SuOuSn Oh tn6Ul. IN ali
Frankfort, out of 1862 dwellings, only
1890 are free of tax, because the rent
falls below $40 so annually, yet there are
$500 citizens tax free because their earn
ings are under 900 marks (S2l6). Our
joiner in this regard at least is a subject of
congratulation rather than pity. His
dwelling is one of the prizes.
1t is needless to say that his furniture
was poor and scanty. What inducement
had he to buy more, when sickness or the
slightest mishap or strike would make 1t
liable to seizure for the rent? 1t must be
remembered thut no household GOODS are
exempt from from me Sheriff in Germany, to
he great injury of the workman without
any corresponding benefit to the creditor.
In this house, during 1883, six persons
lived on 1888 81, or l,056.41 marks. Of
this S245 SO came from his earnings, which
were rather above the average of his
trade, being II cents a day, including %