Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-25

tcAt. WlIe-1 les, can II was Tue
| tenth verse of the sixteenth chapter OF
Ezekiel: 81 girded thee about with fine
linen, and 1 covered thee with silk
Husband-Huh; 1t is no wonder you re-
member it-Brooklyn Life.
ENGLISH SOCIAL PROBLEMS.
Relative Cost of Living in Great
Britain and the United States-Our
Workingmen are Far Better OF
Than Those OF EngIand-Figures to
support This Assertion.
LONDON, July IS.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
A topic of never failing interest on both
aidss of the Atlantic is the relative cost of
living in England and the United States
The English prees, always ready with an
opinion on this subject, has been discuss
ing It for some days with an sssiduity
which, in view of the pending campaign,
is somewhat suspicious. There has been
published recently a report from the Brit
ish consul at Chicago on wages and the
cost of living in the states of what we
know as the middle west. Whether this
report was timed by the authorities here
30 as to make its appearance just before
the election we do not know, but it has
unquestionably been used for election pur-
poses. 1t is held forth as a sort of sooth-
ing syrup for the disturbed spirits of those
classes who have come but lately into their
political heritage, and who, from the
recklessness of new found freedom and
the desperation engendered by long years
of oppression, have threatened to upset
things in this staid, old land, both politi-
cally and socially. To adapt such a report
to purpose like this has not been easy,
and We can hardly believe the undertaking
has been successful. Not having read the
report in full, we refrain from adverse
criticism upon it. But to the conclusions
drawn from it in British newspapers we
can do no otherwise than dissent In the
most emphatic terms. We cannot believe,
in the first place, that such inferences are
warranted by the report itself Indeed,
from what we have read of it, we know
they are not; and even though, by any
possibility, the statement of a British con-
ooA ohouio oc 1ouht W tucLlt VIC
are positively certain that these opinions
would find no oountenance in the true
facts of the case.
1t is admitted in the comments of the
far, very far, in advance of what is paid
in England. 1t is even conceded that in
some branches of industry the average
earnings of the American worker will
amount per week to double the sum pock
eted by workers in the same lines over
here. But the cost of living-there's the
rub, they tell US, and their assumption is
that the relative difference in this respect
is fully enough, if not more than enough,
to make up in England's favor for the rel
ative difference shown in the wage-sheets
of the two countries. This position is
taken and strenuously maintained by eve
ry English paper that has fallen under our
notice since the matter came up for special
discussion, and it will certainly be through
no want of pleading on the part of pom
derous British editors if this notion is IIO,
crammed down the throats of the British
public. One paper, an influential London
daily, warns those who are thinking of en-
igrating 10 the United States to look be-
fore they leap, and it's warnings are EN-
phasiEed by the astounding observation
that "bad as is the condition of the Brit
ish workman, we think that he is much
better off than his brother in America"
Now, what we propose to combat in this
letter is the assumption, which we hold to
be altogether baseless, that living in Eng
land is SO much cheaper than it is with us;
and, discarding details for the present, we
shall offer only few cursory observations
upon this point. If workmen can buy
their necessaries at so low a cost as is
claimed, 1t will surely transpire that living
in general can be conducted at low rate,
for it is inconceivable that the general
public would put up with prices which
were out of proportion altogether to those
paid for the same articles by the daily la
borer. What then are the factsi
AS regards the cost of things to the av-
erage resident one sees at once how far
fetched is this idea of cheapness if he only
looks at the two items of railway and ho-
tel rates. To travel on the English rail
ways in q style at all comparable with that
afforded on ordinary American cars, you
must travel frst-class. Even then you
will get no conveniences beyond that of a
fairly comfortable seat, and the rate will
be four cents a mile. Sscond-class costs
about the same as the American first-class,
that is, three cents a mile. OF course you
csn take third-clsss ticket if you like,
which will cost a cent per mile less than
this. But your standing is impeached by
riding third while others are riding first
class on the same train. You will ''get
there" just as soon, but You will neither
be so comfortable in body nor so happy in
mind. At first-claes hotels in large towns
you will be entertained, of course, on the
European plan. The lowest price for q
| fairly good room will be four and six, with
| one-and- six for attendance. This means 6
| dollar and fifty-cents, and if afterwards
| you fee the many persons for whose at
tentions you are supposed to have paid
but have not, in the extra one and six
| it will mean two dollars. Your mealt
You can take where you please. But il
will be a poor meal of any kind, and
poorly served. which you will get for less
than fifty cents, barring, of course, ths
English tea, and here again you will have
to drop twopence for the waiter each
time. So that even when you have saved
all you can you will be running closely
| upon the American three dollar and fifty
cents a day rate. But it is common, ant
| little humiliating, to have to get meals
for economy's sake, outside the hostelry
where you are putting up; and yet, il
you take them at these cheap Englisl
hotels, look at the cost. Seventy fv,
cents for breakfast, a dollar and a quar-
ter for dinner, fifty cents for tea, and i
| you take the regulation Fourth" meal
be 1t lunch or supper, about seventy fy'
cents more; which foots up for the day
| including room, "A hotel rate of something
over five dollars. That's how cheap liv
ing is in Englsud-if you pat up at
fairly good hotel.
To weaken the force of these observs
tions, it may be said that the ordinar,
run of people do not trouble hotels, ape
that those who do patronizs them cal
afford to pay well for their entertain
ment. Which may be- quite true, bu
business men and those who travel
whether in England or America, ar
compelled to patronize such places. No
only, therefore, may We properly brin!
them into account when the cost of liv
ing is under treatment, but they ma,
surely be held, in the scale of charge
they maintain, to express in some meas
ure the current value of at least tn
comforts and ,uxuries of life, If not o
its ordinary necessaries. AS to rsilws,
travel, here the case is much stronger
for the poor man has to use the train a
we'll as the rich. He does not travel 9
much as his fellow toiler in America, be
cause he cannot afford to do so. 81
would probably travel more, and, in con
sequence, know more and enjoy more, /
his wages were better, and he might d
, 1t even with his wages at their presen
standard If conveniences and concession