The National tribune., 1890-12-25
O.

well ms farmers and day laborers. All these have
seen their clients professions and occupations de-
part from them along with the loss of that most
useful Of all the faculues-the sense OF hearing.
Their families, accustomed 20 the comforts and
Injuries Of life, have been reduced 10 penury and
want through the helplessness Of the natural pro-
wider
Nor does public office come 10 these comrades
from the hands Of grateful people, as in the case
with those disabilities which appeal to the public
eye.
Even those who have lost both feet or both arms
attain public station and honor, while the one
legged or onearmed comrades ill numberless
places In every branch Of the public service. eXecu-
tive, Legislative aud judicial and Ia all the profess
sions and in commercial life they are not unknown.
do not, however, desire TO draw odous COM
parsons, but facts facts and should be no
longer ignored.
"CHEAPER LIVING IN ENGLAND"
The Westminster RerieD publishes the
result Of recent Investigations Of the condi-
ton Of the working classes of London, by
which it appears that of 100000 persons in
the metropolis, there were:
Loaers and 5000
Dependent on casual earnings below ISIS.
k'..''''''''''... oVouOJ
Dependent on casual earnings from lsS.
10 -ie week @BJ,UJJ
Dependent on regular earnings from ISIS. to
us 100000
This would make the level of good wages
to the highest grade of workingmen-count-
ing the shilling at % cents-from $3.50 to
SOS week. In the great cities Of this
country the average weekly wages of skilled
workingmen is from three to Eve times that
figure.
But" free traders say, workingmen in
London can live more comfortably on half
the wages that they get in this country"
In the first place, as will be seen by the
above table, they do not get half the wages
really not one-third Next, it is impossi-
bic That they should live better on even the
same wages, because the cost of The main
necessaries Of life-articles Of fOod-mu5t be
higher in England than here. If they were
not there would be no profit in producing
them here and sending them 70 England for
sale.
Next in importance TO food are clothing
and shelter. We will admit that clothing
is much cheaper in England than here, ow-
ing TO the cheaper labor involved in its
manufacture.
When it comes 10 houses, the Westminster
RcrioaO declares that the country is face to
face with "a crying scandal" Fully "10O,-
600 families are without decent homes"
This means at least 100000 persons.
Lord Compton, speaking on the matter in
Parliament, says that no man earning from
IS to 20 shillings week ought 10 pay more
than three shiHiHgs a 'oeek fer t,oO rooms.
But "the noble LORD" conceded that no
man was able TO get two rooms fit for the
habitation OF human beings for that price
Every body else viii say that two rooms are
far from being enough for any family. Es
pecially is this true when, as in great
majority Of the cases in London, the hus-
band and father must carry on his trade in
his home. The employer saves costly shgp
room by compelling his employees to do tbs
work that in America is done in large, we'll
lighted, well warmed and ventilated shops
in their miserable homes, where it adds to
the dirt and squalor.