New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-03
IN FATHEkLAND.
FOREIGN COMPETITORS OF AMERICAN
LADOR AND THEIR WAGES.

The merchant who has some commodity TO sell
locks around to where he find the best market
for the goods Dat he has TO dispose Of the Intelligent
workman IN the same way seeks 10 know inst where
he can get the most money FOR his labor. THIS IS
business and intelligence combined In order 10 asc-r-
tain the facts about the market OF labor the large
manufactures OF the countries which compete with
American w0rkngmrn visited; one OF N" W09'
important OF these on the Continent Is Germany ana
OF course Berlin is It's worldrenOwned capital an"
centre. In looking the exports to The 'ntca
states II Is wonderful 10 how the different i"o'S
centralize around the capitals the exports ana III
ports OF Paris. London, Berlin and vienna i'P''SV".
many times goods than are actually mnhu"cl"p"
in those cities. In city Is this more s'rNheN
marked than In Berlin all the great exporting houses
have their headquarters In this place here the com-
mission merchants who represent the manufacturers.
have their samples and the buyers make Their pur-
chasts for the foreign markets. But how large
proportion OF these goods are Manufactured IN 'he
vicinity OF Bernn7 Probably less than on"1our'h.
although they are brought 10 that city ana hNoc'u
thcrefrom. IT, for example, the ready made Under
clothing OF which large quantities were exported 10
IN. y-ntcd States Is tukcp. IL will he found that
while the average wages paid TO the worker IN ana
around the capital II marks. or about 3D. thVSe
paid In Sesla was only marks, or just "ne-"'i''
The consequence that the commission merchants
would send the orders ont 10 IN" workmcn IN 'hat
sterile region where many workers be found ready
paid In Berlin are given the ordinary ones. they are
MISLEADING The same facts are true regards men
and womens ready made clothing the imp0ra'lohS OF
which have been greatly lessened by the Mckinley blh
The rites which these goods were made were SOME
thing astonishing 70 American workman. II was
one OF these workers that last winter sent note TO the
Emperor ASKING His Majesty 10 tell him some way IN
which q family OF five could be supported on marks
a week 1t Is needless say that the difficult problem
was unanswered by the Emperor. And many poor
starving wretch IS to-day struggling with the
momentous question OF living on thes" extremely low
wages
While passing through this nalghborhood. during the
recent harvest, thousands seen boarding the
fourth-chs there not always any benches
In them the passengers must usually stand up or lie
the 1oortravelling toward the west IN ord"r
to DO farm work while the season lasted large
framed woman. scany dressed with pair OF sabo's
over her back was heard conversing with ne,ghbor
IN the vicinity OF ppsc she said that she had found
a place and was working for farmer at the rate OF
20 pfennlgs day and board: she evidently was not
very well satisfied with the masters menu, for she
vas complaining tina, she had not enough to cat
IL have some soup for breakfast, soup. breed and
eucumbers at noon. and only cucumber lor sup
per ~ the woman Gld Nor friend.
The sympathetic friend gave similar experience.
and the dialogue between the two wonld have made
q telling document in favor OF Protection.
F1ghty-one families In the vicinity OF Berlin rep
resenting the different trades selected 10 Illustrate
the exact condition OF wages: these subdv!dcd
into four groups according TO their general condition
They all what might be called skilled laborers'
and would average in the state of New-York SO per
diem. They include blacksmhs, masons. carpenters.
brcklayers, tailors. shocmahers. etc.
First group. twenty-eght families Having one
child each. Fifteen Of these children earned some
thing toward supporting ;he family
Average salary Tor weeks 5000 70 100 90
Second group. twcnty-slx families. Having forty
seven children In ALL Nine of these earned something
toward the support OF the family.
Average salary for two weeks . eoo0 to % 500 0t
Per individual ......................... I.oU 22VV
Third group fourteen families Having fOrty.two
children In all. twenty-five OF these children earned
something toward supporting the family.
Average SALARY for two weeks. 1oo0 to $500
Fourth group thirteen families. Having sxty-four
children in ALL Four OF these children earned some
thing toward the support OF the fanily.
Marks
Average salary for two weeks. ...... $500 10 $500
Fer individual ........................ 500 s.33
Only the families In the first two groups able
to live with any degree OF comfort at all: the men,
bers OF the last living in decided want.
These wages above the that usually
paid in Germany taking in some Of the very highest
paid wOrkmcn at time when there was plenty Of
work 10 be had 1t Is taken into consideration that
they do not work average than eight
nine months In year. and thai they must lay by
enough then 10 keep tho family during the slack
season. this makes great reduction in the annual
wages. fuzzy % per cent TO make up the average for
the year.
OF al people in 'hc world not oven excepting the
Italians. whose condition is most miserable. Il would
be difficult TO find In Europe Oft than the
Inhabitants OF Silcsa, according DR.. IaRges report
from which the following extracts have been taken :
and after personally visiting these sections within the
last three months, tho condition Of the people
found TO be rather than when the doctor
sent bis report TO the government. After giving n
sad description of the IN nd -weavers. he says:
"The wages Of the spnnerS and veaverS In fac
tories whose wives are frequently employed In spool
ing yarn at home for the firms. an
average higher than those Of hand weavers. Thus in
1887 machine pirnrrs and wcavers paid In the
city and suburbs o. Ncgniiz 10 IL marks weekly
In Rechenbach in 1850 the wages follows:
Marks
Weaving bedticking tmcnl 30
Weaving atin-ticldng tmcn) $40
Weaving rosetwiiline (menl ..............-... So
Weaving finer twing (mcn) Observation-Disclosures. $40
Weaving finer twill'ng (wOmen) 6GG
"Most Of the workers are employed IN the middle
Industries. the wages mentioned above vary according
TO the greater or less dcxtcrty OF the person wen
as the degree OF diligence OF the weaver
The textile industry IS the second largest of oil
the German trades, the employees have the longeS, dav
and the lowest wages especially the women aud chi
dren. Although their condition Is bad still that OF
tae children employed al nPt-makng Is worse. they
often work twelve hours for or cents. According
70 report Published FOR 1850. fourteen hours Of
labor pad rs pfennigs Tor little over cen;s)
equal 10 about So 81 l cent an hour. The women
factory hands In the woonen-dress goods. work from
ten 20 eleven hours daily. and their weekly wages