Passaic City record., 1892-05-14
LABOR STATISTICS.
The Annual Report of Commis-
sioner Carroll ID. Wright.
Wages and Cost Of Living in This
Country and Europe.

The Hon. Carroll D. Wright Commis-
sioner Of Labor, transmitted to the Presi-
dent his annual report.
In that part of the report relating to cost
Of living, facts are given from 1884 families.
representing 27,577 persons. These families
are distributed through the cotton and glass
producing States of the United States, Bel
nium, France, Germany, Great Britain and
Switzerland, and constitute the most extern
sive collection of data relative to the cost of
living that has ever been published.
The total average income of families from
all sources for different countries, for the
number of families for which budgets
were obtained in each country, was:
For the cotton industry, 6.76 in
the United States, s355.94 in France,
$3O211 in Germany. $3.50 ID III
Great Britain, and 1858. 81 in Switzerland.
In the woolen industry s663 l3 in the United
States, S424.51 in France, 5.99 in Ger
many, and S515.64 in Great Britain. In the
glass industry in the United States $859.64,
IN Belgium $627.65, and in Great Britain
s5O1 so.
Bringing these averages into comparison
with those of incomes in other industries, as
reported in the sixth annual report. the
States the total average income of
families engaged in the pig iron
industry was 1891 81; in Belgium,
1874 SO, and in Great Britain, $456.S6. The
bar iron workers are we'll paid class and
their incomes per family were as follows: For
the United States, S784. IL; for Belgium.
sS59.37; for France, $464.74; for Germany,
Looking at some of the items of expenses
Of families In different countries, and for
different Industries, it IS learned from the
Tebort that in the Unitsd States ths aver
age cost of rent for the families
fSDorted in the cotton industry
was .S72.58; in France, SS4. .76; in Germany,
22S.96, and in Great Britain, $51.24. For
families engaged In the wooden industry. In
the United States $50. 81; in France, $83. .25;
In Germany, $25.45, and in Britain, $52 q.
For families in the glass industry In. the
United States, $109. So; in Belgium, $3S.9
and in Great Britain, S50.73
O. The suds expended for ainusements and
vacation indicate very clearly the tendency
Of the families Of working men. For the
families in the United States in the cotton
industry, the average cost was 1886; in
France. S16 O2; in Germany, sl9.83, and in
Great Britain, $500. The glass workers In
this country. however, spent more money
than those Of any other country for amuse-
ments and vacation. In the United States
such expenses amounted to $28.66 per an
mum; in Belgium, $l1.4o. and in Great Brit
ain, $22.o6.
The comparisons on Intoxicating liquors
are as follows: For the families engaged In
the cotton industry in the United Statss, SO
far as considered. S15.9S; in France, SIS 0S;
in Germany, $1i4l, and in Great Britain.
Sl9.47 In the glass industry. in the United
States, $54. g.; in Belgium, $45.09, and in
Great Britain, s3274.
The expenditures for food by the families
of the cotton workers in the United States
was on the average &2S7 Cf. in France
$164. CO; in Germany, S142.22, and in Great
Britain, $246.50. For the families engaged in
the wooden industry: In the United States.
1852 IS; in France, SlS6.7S; in Germany,
S140.2 and in Great Britain, S223.S0. For
the families of glass workers: In the United
States, S294.75; in Belgium, $237.22, and in
Great Britain, 1920. 96.
The reading propensities OF the families
comprehended in the report constitute inter-
esting points of comparison. The average
cost of books and newspapers for families en-
gagged in the cotton industry in the United
States was S5.35; in France, So. 70: in Ger
many, 81 .4s, and in Great Britain, 1886. For
families engaged in the woolen industry: In
the United States, $7.66; in France, 1888; in
Germany, 81 81, aud in Great Britain, So Al.
For the families engaged in the glass indus
try: In the United States So. IA; in Bel
gium, $3.50, and in Great Britain, s3.4
The total average expenditures per iamily
for all purposes in the cotton industry in the
United States were S610.61; in France,
$685. 20; in Germany, 1882. 5S; in Great Brit
ain, $502 Is, and in Switzerland, S346. 68. The
families in the wooden industry in the United
States expended 1894 .09; in France, $384.05;
in Germany, S28l. SO, and in Great Britain
s4SI.64. The families engaged in the glass
industry in the United States expended
$769.o6; in Belgium, s492.42, and in Great
Rritoip SAH0 "A