The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-31
same articles by the daily laborer. What,
then, are the facial


GETTING DOWN TO FACTS.
As regards the cost of things to the aver
age resident, one sees at once how far
fetched is this idea of cheap ness if he only
looks at the two items of railway and hotel
rates. To travel on the English railways
in style at all comparable with that af-
forded on ordinary American cars, you
must travel first-claea Even then you will
get no conveniencas, hey ond that of fairly
comfortable scat, and the rate will be 4
same as the American tirst-ciass. that Is,
cents q mile. OF course you can
take q third-class ticket If you like.
which Will cost 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
30 comfortable in body nor so happy in
you will be entertained, of course. on the
European plan. The lowest price for
fairly good room will be four and-six. with
one-and-six for attendance. This means a
dollar and fifty cents, and if afterwards
You fec the many persons for whose atfen-
tions you are supposed to have paid, but
have not, in the extra one-and-six. 1t will
mean 81. Your meals you can take where
you please. But it Will be poor meal of
any kind, ana poorly served, which you
81
of course. the 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-tifty- day rate. But it is CON-
mon, and little humiliatlDg. to have to
get meals. for econ0my's sake, outside the
hostelry where you are putting up; and yet
If you take them at these cheap English
hotels, look at the cost. Seventv-five cents
for breakfast. 81. % for dinner, SO cents for
tea. and if you take the regulation fourth"
meal, be it lunch or supper. about rs cents
more which foots up for the day. inclnd-
Ing room. hotel rate of something over IS.
That's how cheap living is in England-if
you put mp at a fairly good hotel
To weaken the force of these observa-
tions. it may be said that the ordinary run
of people do not trouble hotels. and that
those who do patrOnize them can afford to
pay well for their entertainment, which
may be quito true; but business men and
those who travel. whether In England or
America are compelled to patronlze such
places. Not only, therefore, NAV we bring
them into account when the cost Of living
il under treatment. but they may surely be
held, in the scale Of charges they maintain,
to express in some measure the current
Of life. If not of its ordinary necessaries.
As to railway travel. here the case
Is much stronger, for the poor man
has to use the train as well rs the
IlCn. ne uOc6 uOb bE8Ve4 % muCu 10
his fellow-toiler In America because he
cannot afford to do 80. He would probably
travel moro, and, in consequences, know
more and enjoy moro il his wages were bot
ter, and he might do il even with his
wages at their present standard If cOnven-
fences and concessions were afforded him
in railway travel such as would put him
on q level Ia such matters with tho work
men in the United States.
ANOTHER ILLUSION DIsPELLED.
But clothing, We are assured, 10 surpris-
ingly low in price. The common idea is
that you can get it for about one half what
it costs in the United States. This. how
ever. is another fallacy. If such clothing
as is worn by workmen at their daily toll,
and such as the laboring classes are content
to wear on Sundays and holidays, can
be pure based any cheaper in London than
in Chicago or New York, We have yet to
see the advertisement OF any response BILE
English sbop-keeper which demonstrates
this fact, and have yet to fad any place,
notwithstanding the search we have main
tanned. where such clothing is displayed to
view. The truth is that for the lower
grade of goods and workmanship in the
clothing line prices in the two countries are
about equal. And in higher grades the
situation is some thing like this. The same
goods which. when cut in the American
style and fitted with American exactness.
and finished according TO the American
quality of we'll paid w0rkmanship, would
cost you in the land of the stars and stripes
about $40. you can get put toeethcr
and hung on your back here for say