The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-13
ABOUT GERMAN LABOR
An Interesting Statement Made by
Vice Commercial Agent Murphy
at Luxembourg.
In DEPLORABLE CONDITION,
And There Is Apparently Little Pros
pect of Betterment---SOme of
the Causes.
IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-After an ex.
haustive examination of the wages paid
IN the large manufacturing establish.
ments of Luxembourg, which he says are
about the same as paid in other parts OF
Germany, George H. Murphy, United
States vice commercial agent there,
transmits 10 the state department q re.
port on the wages paid in the steel and
iron industries, with q general review
of the whole subject of German wages.
He finds that, generally speaking. the
average earnings Of ordinary workmen
amount to less than 5000 per annum.
Women earn about half as much as
men. The average wages Of miners
end foundry hands is less than 81 Fer
day. The salaries of primary school
teachers are 1924 for males, and $17O
for females.
Necessaries Come High.
A very large majority of the EN-.
ployes Of the government earn less than
$500 per annum. On the other hand,
still speaking generally, the necessaries
OF life cost as much in Central Europe
as in America. A workman's expendi-
lures for clothing and rent may posi-
bly, be somewhat less here than. in
America, but in the town of Luxembourg
Goa costs 81 per ton, eggs 81 cents per
dozen;rye -four 3, wheat f1oar 5, sugar 8,
butter 20, beef 10, veal and mutton Is to
20, fresh pork 20 and smoked pork %
cents per pound.
Frugality and Industry
can hardly be expected to accomplish
any miracle greater than that of enab-
ling a thrifty workman to keep out of
debt. This distressing state of affairs
is no'doubt in part al unavoidable re-
suit of the competitive demand for en-
ployment which must exist in every
densely populated country, but the
misery of the European poor has been
aggravated by that popular craze which
causes the large towns and cities of
Germany to grow with rapidity as
phenomenal as that which is doubling
and trebling the population of our own
Western cities. An important point of
difference, however, lies in the fact
that foreign immigration largely ac-
counts for the development of our
towns, whereas German cities expand
almost entirely at the expense Of the
rural districts. Consequently the
Labor Market Ia Glutred,
wages keep falling and the evil is en-
HANGED by the increasing use of labor
saving devices. The competition be.
tween manufacturers also forces down
wages. The policy of the countries of
Central Europe seems to extend and in
fate their manufacturing Industries
suicidally. Their idea of national pros
perity and of happiness seems to be
nothing more than the attainment of
the ability to export manufactures and
import food. and in support of this pol !
ICY the government taxes workingmen |
by an import duty on his
food in order to give the manu-
facturer an export bounty. The
much-talked-of disarmament of Eur ope
will, If ever realized, bring further cal
amity by adding to the labor markets
millions of young men untitled for
country life by several years residence
IN city barracks. The development of
American manufactures is I'M
loubtedly of great Importance, but
American workmen and women have |
good reason to favor the restriction of |
immigration and to view 1T with appre-
tendency to initiate industries
safe limits.