The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-25

Common 10 pay workmen by the
piece) paid in East and West Flanders.
Branch Of industry. Average daily
Tl.1 eulture. % i5:i0
Eteeping the -"
Trimming the fax ..-...-----.--'-
epinnsTs
h~Erptng--.--.. ...- -.'''.'.'-'-.''."'' szs
%isstsg the yard.
WOnsn-...--..... -.-.-.....-"-"--- itg
Bleaching the Linen ........-..-.---.. .
with board
All Of the above figures are for male
labor, except for winding the yarn.
HASD-MADE LACE.
The value Of the exports for the year
was $67,64l 26. Since 1859 there has
been a decrease. The lace was all hand
made, mostly cotton and linen torchon
for trimmings and insertions. There
are no factories. The ONE are en-
ployed in making the lace at their
homes. The principal exporter informs
me that they earn on an average
throughout Flanders l3a cents per day.
and work on the lace almost steadily
from 6 o'clock in the morning until 8
o'clock at night. If We make a reduc-
ton of two hours for repose from this
period Of fifteen hours, we have thir-
teen working hours remunerated by
I44 cents, or about l 10 American cents
per hour. Some women even begin at
S o'clock in the morning and work until
ut night 1 am also informed that
there are many who only earn ll9 cents
aday.
cHIcoRY.
It is gratifying to me 10 be able to call
attention to the manufacture of chicory
as a n American industry OF recent
growth. The statistics Of exports from
this district to the United States for the
last three years clearly demonstrate this
fact. In 1883 the value Of the exports
chicory amounted 90 S11, 666 IA and con.
sisted conclusivily Of graduated and
prepared chicory, grown and manutac-
tured in Belgium. By the tariff law OF
1888 both the raw chicory root and the
prepared article were alike subject to a
specific duty Of 2cents per pound. By
the tariff law which went into opera
ton October 8, 1890, the unground Chi
cory root was put upon the free list, but
the manufactured chicory is still sub
ject TO q duty Of 2 cents per pound. The
effect was scarcely observable in 1890,
for the exports OF chicory in that
year, which amounted to S39,440 03,
consisted almost entirely Of the granu-
lated roots as formerly. 1t was the
same with the beginning OF 1891, but as
the year advanced q change became APP
parent, Factories for the manufacture
Of chicory were established in New
York and cnvirons. Heavy shipments
OF the raw root were made from here.
Several manufacturers transferred their
plants from the Flanders to the United
States. At this writing only u out OF
many counties TO export granulated
chicory TO the United States. This is
the largest chicory establishment in the
world, but under American competition
II 10 rapidly going to the wall.
The total value OF tho chicory exports
from this districts to the United States
for the year 1891 was SS0,074 95, Of
which more than half was represented
by theNTaw root. Instead OF being
manufactured in Belgium, the mani
facture is now carried on in the United
States.
cosT OF LIVING.
II is often asserted that the purchas-
ing power Of an equal amount OF money
is greater in Belgium than inthe United
States. AS far as concerns the hiring Of
labor this is true, as may be illustrated
by the fact that one can hire a good car
penter in Client for five and one-ffth
American cents an hour and a domestic
servant for s. S6 a month. But when
the cost Of living among the working
classes Of the two countries Is consider
ed in reference to the disparity in their
wages, the fact is generally ignored that
n poorer standard Of living prevails hero
than in the United States. To illustrate
this: If the American workman would
be contented with cheap qualities Of po-
tatoes and bread as a regular diet, with
an occasional horse steak, instead oil
having varied meats and vegetables
every day, 1 feel sure that he would find
the purchasing power Of his dollar to be
fully as great as is that Of its interna-
tional equivalent in Belgium, especially
as the latter country annually consumes
great quantities Of our cereals and as it
has boon found profitable to ship ex-
siye cargoes OF horse meat from New
York TO Client to supply the tables Of
the poorer classes. 1nasmuch as
beef is moro expensive here
than in the United States, it lie
needless for mo to say that it is rarely
seen on the table OF a Client workman
who earns only 4S cents a day, which is
above the average. However, a good
horse steak at 6l-6 cents 10 not beyond
his means. Furthermore, If it were the
fashion for tho American workman to
wear wooden Rhoes they could be made
cheaper in the United States than here.
In order to live in comfortable cir
cumstances in Ghent population 1907
O00), there are many expenses encoun-
tered which counterbalance the cheap
moss OF labor. For instance, il vege-
tables are cheaper than in the United
States, tho difference is o than
made up in tho high prices Of meats
and the cost OF wine or other beverage
necessitated as q substitute for the
wafer which ia generally considered