The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-19
WAGES AND FREE TRADE.

New York state viii vote for Harrison and Reid
this year.
WAGES AND FREE TRADE.
Mr.. Franklin Hobbs, who is a graduate of
the Massachusetts, Institute Of Technology,
spent several months in the worsted mills
in this country studying all the details of
manufacture, wages, cost Of living. food
and supplies, and then made similar
studies for more than SIX months in the
worsted mills Of England, France and
Belgium.
The tables he furnishes show that the
wages in the worsted mills of Massachu-
sets are about 100 per cent. higher than
they are in like mills in England. 1l0 per
cent. higher than in France, and 80 per
cent. higher than in Belgium.
The lowness Of wages in Europe and the
density Of the population compared with
America. make q state Of poverty not only
possible but comparatively common there
that is infrequent in America, and when il
occurs is limited to certain congested
districts of the east. The wages Of the
average London postrnan range from $50
TO $500 per week and they are compelled
to work from fourteen to sixteen hours
daily. The letter carrier in America aver
ages three times as much money
with shorter hours. In 1857 print
ers in New England earned $50
where they earn sl2.00 now. The
printers trade is not directly
affected by the tariff but it represents the
rise in wages under protection. for rise
in wages must be ali along the line.
Whenever there are higher wages men
will come and compete for them and bring
on general level. and that level is higher
than the old in the same proportion which
the higher wage business bears to all the
business
The New England farm laborer gets So
per cent. more for his labor today than he
did in 1855. There has been 50 per cent.
rise in wages since 1857. In 1913 the Irish
iaborer on the railways of Massachusetts,
working FROM dark TO dark received but %
cents q day, and often not more than 80
cents. Wages have more than doubled in
New England since lsi3. and nobody will
life 10 labor have doubled. On the con-
trary. the great necessaries of life repre-
sented by food and clothing are
cheaper than they were in 1873 in New
England. Rents are higher than they
were fifty years ago in New England. bat
in other respects labor is not only better
off in New England than it was in 1913,
but the largest share of the improvement
in the condition of labor has taken place
since the first enactment of the Repub-
lican tariff policy in 1851. The laboring
man today has higher wages than he had
in 1850 by 50 per cent. Everything the
laboring man buys today he can get
cheaper on the average than he could
thirty-two years ago.
The inquiry conducted into wages and
prices by the Massachusetts, bureau of labor
in 1854 showed that on the basis OF yearly
expenditure by The laboring classes in
Massachusetts. prices were only g per
cent. higher there than in Great Britain,
while wages were 81 per cent. greater. OF
the higher price Of articles consumed ). 50
per cent. was due TO better living. The
actual difference in price was 1l.49 per
cent, and the extra wages paid for this
difference in less than three months.
Since iSs4 prices have fallen in this coun-
try. Wages have not, save III q very few
trades.
The average yearly income from all
sources of families dependent on the
WOODEN industry, as determined from the
extensive official data collected by Mr..
Carroll d. Wright, is sos. Is IN the United
States, si24.5l in France. $275.99 in Ger
many and s5l56i in Great Britain.
Out of this there is paid for rent IN the
United States S90.sT; in France, s33. .: IN
Germany, s2545, and in Great Britain,
$52-24 The expenditure for food in the
United States averages S962.s5; in
France, sls6.7s; in Germany, Sl4o27,
and in Great Britain. s223. -. The total
average expenditure in the United States
is s39io9; in France, s3Si.05; in Germany,
$2si.5e, and in Great Britain. Sisl.6t
What Is true of the wooden industry is
true of the cotton, glass and iron indus
tries in practically the same proportion of
income and outlay. Il will be seen from
these figures that the American workman
earns more and is better fed and housed
than the foreign laborer.
These figures speak for themselves.
They show 8 striking difference between
the wages paid IN American and European
industries that are competitive Can the
free trader tell the American workman
how this difference could be maintained if
the products OF European industry we're
allowed 10 freely compete in the home
market with the products of American
labor? General George \. Sheridan in q
recen; speech in New York city compared
the wages per day n England with wages
paid in the United States, 80 follows:
AHisrcda EHclisA
Brtcklsye- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS u % s. ~
NArpes3ae NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. - l ~
4 q ~ NJ ..--..-.---..--. $780, ~ %
IaiK 4aGoEsr.- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ~ ~
Yet this class Of men in this country
made 800 \ year more and worked 200
hours less per year than the English work
men under tree trade.
The pay for police here is $500, 100 and
sl.lo. and that OF policemen abroad s.