Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-04

Life Of the Lsboring and Middle Glasses in
Austria.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS PRESENTED IN RE-
PORT TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT BY CONSUL
GENERAL ooLpscHxlDr--ovER 10000 LABOR
ERs IN VIENNA OUT OF WORK.
| United States Consul General Goldschmidt Of
Vienna sends to the State Department a very dark
picture Of the life Of the laboring and middle
classes of people in Austria It is a picture
which will be totally unfamiliar to the people
Of this country, oven the poorest Of them. The
people are harrassed by burdensome taxation,
high prices Of food and low wages
| In reference to taxes the consul general
writes:
TAXES IN AUSTRIA.
The internal taxes Of Austria are divided
into direct and indirect taxes. The direct taxes
are levied on the proceeds or profits of real
prrperty and other immovable property and in
come. The indirect taxes are levied in the
form and under the name of a consumption
tax. which Is collected at the city limits on en-
tering the city. The list Of articles includes all
provisions and beverages. Another indirect
tax Ia imposed upon beet sugar. petroleum and
distilled spirits and collected at the place Of
manufacture according to the capacity OF the
concern. There is a stamp tax on every docu-
ment imaginable, from simple receipt to the
written decision Of the judge. There is also
sax on titles and decorations. on appointments,
on donations and legacies. state lottery
bonds, chambers of. commerce and registry of
business firms. The burden of taxation i'm
posed upon the business men of limited means
and income is about IS per cent of the esti-
mated net income and consists of school. water.
license. income, employees and sundry small
taxes. The house class tax upon it's rental
value is levied according to the number of in
habitants and dwelling rooms. without refer
ence- to the cost OF the building, and of course.
favors the rich man. The house rent tax paid
by the small merchant Is IS per cent. and the
repts in Vienna OF the middle classes are M
reasonably high. Added to this the in
direct taxes on the neccssaries of life in meat,
bread. candles. beer and wine. oats. hav. straw.
DC: As an inevitable consequence. Vienna is
today one OF the most expensive cities on the
continent of Europe. mechanic. a clerk or "A
public functionary rarely sees roast on his
table
The houses Of The reorlc cannot compare
with those i'll he United States. There is little
house life the majority OF the population man.
age to make Il SUI per ont of glass of beer and
n slice of bread and sausage a: ihe restaurants
and public gardens. because more than one sub
stan i'll meal at their own houses quite be-
word heir means. The small sho kcei crs and
'he laboring Class generally i'll hi city are in Il
de- lor'b'e state. in pie of the earnest and
praisworthy effort to better the COZ diton of he
working classes to an app, eciable degree.
WAGES IN AUSTRIA
The derlorable state of the o-kins classes
even il thev could obtain steady work. will be
demo stratcd by the following list of wages
paid b. The most prominent industrial. bran, hes
In north Bohemia, which is one of the creates.
seats OF industry in tria-Hurgary. The
figures are taken from NrribohmiscEe Arbeiter
Sta'is;ik tNor h Bohemia Labor Statistics. u
york COMPLIED and publ, he'd in 1891 bv the
l.mlpr of trade and nj tlnicbaphp-p
he wages per week of seven days average
follows: hen. women and young people over
fifteen yesr old. II. &C. males (mcn and Young
people. - 81; men. 2.45: females women
and young womeHl, s. Is; women. SLAB
THE LABOR QUESTION IN AUSTRIA.
Just now the number of unemployed in
Austria is great They are imraticn:ly waiting
for the construction of railways and public
works connected with The new CITY improve
ments. whereby number of outlving suburbs
will be connected with the metropolis. The
execution o: This great undertaking has already
been voted by the municipal council and the
provincial diet of lower Aus;ria. and now only
awaits tho decision of the reichsrah. The dis
appointment of the host Of UNEMPLOYED labor
ers when III " heard that the government con-
tenn lated the Adjournment of the project in
question can be more eusily imagined than de-
scribe The reason given Is that more time
was necessary for the elaboration of the details,
anu tue uftnIlONeO Will therefore nave TO wait
till next autumn.
1t Is estima ed that over 1000 laborcrs in
this city are ont OF work. and MANY are clam
oring for bread. while the misery of the small
tradespeople ID unusually great. An increa 90 OF
emigration from Austria Hungary 70 the United
States istherefore to be looked for. -pecaly
from the province of Galicia. where the popu-
lation suffers from want of seeding grain even
and have again applied for government aid
and also from some parts OF Hungary, where
people are equally dependent upon assistance
from the government to save them from starry
Ing.
OF late tine social democrats in Vienna. in
spite Of the charity lavshed on the unemployed
workinSmen by the Weather classes, have
become unrulv and irritated. MANY meetings
are being held by the different as oca lions. At
a meeting of the Equality Association one of
the Spokesman claimed that with the distribu-
ton of mere loaf of bread the oppressed
classes could not be saved. Political rights
must be accorded to them. and only then would
they be able to improve their condition. Their
wages must be increased their hours of labor
diminished and then there would be no more
unemployed: they claimed justice. and only
when /. should be melted out to them would
society enter on path mere worthy of consid-
GRAFTON than that opened to it by momentary
pity. Another said tina. the social democrats
intended to continue the struggle against class
domination TO the bitter end. They dema nd
reform of the press laws. The distribution Of
bread would only still the hunger of the unem-
ployed for few days. but could do no perma-
nent good. Something very different was
required. and that could only be claimed when
the freedom of the press had been obtained.
grea. many meetings are constantly dis
solved by the police. ana the annual convention
of the social democracy. which was to take place
at Linz next month, has been prohibited by the
government.
On the other hand the manufacturers of
Austria met on the Goth Of April for the pur-
pose Of forming n central protective assCcia-
| ton. Fifteen different branches OF manufac-
turers, who had before formed societies in
their respective lines. were represented. Strange
10 say, this meeting Of enlightened citizens de-
| clared against workingmen forming trade asso-
Citations or trade unions as being detrimental to
| their own benefit and disastrous to the good re-
lations heretofore existing between employers
and employees; they also declared against the
eight-bour law. unless the question be regu-
lated by an international congress- One fails
| to see why the manufacturers should be justi-
fed in forming mutual protective organiza-
| ton and the same right OF organization be de-
MED BY them to their workingmen-a right
which has been conceded them by most nations
on the continents of Europe and America.
However, they declared in favor Of voluntary
| arbitration in cases Of differences between
| them as against state interference.