The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-21
Nv.

mainly, and often entirely was composed II the
heads of tho town aristocracy, the patr'lcian
class, or "honorabiity" tEhrbarkeit). as they
were termed. who, on the ground of their an
tiquity and wealth. laid claim to every post OF
power and privilege. On the other side were
the body OF the citizens, enrolled In the various
guilds. seeking as their position and wealth i'm
proved, to wrest the control of the towns re-
sources from the patricians. Nowhere was the
guild system brought to a greater perfection
than In the free imperial towns Of Germany. In
one respect Il was carried further than
In any other part Of Europe. for the guilds
of journeymen which In other places never at
tanned any strength or Importance. were in Ger
many developed to the fullest extent, and they
supported the craft guilds In their conflict with
the patricate. No doubt there we're numerous
frictions between the two classes OF master
workman guilds and journeyman guilds respect-
ing wages, working days, hours and the like,
but there was not the irreconcilable hostility
between them which exists at the present time
between trades union and a syndicate Of en-
ployers. Each class of guilds recognized the
right to existence of the other.
The author OF this book has borrowed from
the researches made by Schanz some interesting
details concerning the wages paid to journey
men. These data make It manifest that the po-
stion of the artisan in the town was decidedly
better even than that of the peasant at the same
period, and, therefore, immeasuraby superior
to anything he has enjoyed since In south
Germany at this period the average price of
beef was about two pfennige pound, while the
daily wages of journeymen, masons and car
penters, in addition to their keep and lodging.
amounted in the summer to about twenty
pfennige, and in the winter to about sixteen.
In Saxony the same journeymen craftsmen
earned on the average. besides their main
tenanca fwanty- Eight nfcnniue In nd.
dition to this, in some cases. the workmen
had weekly gratuities under the name of bath
ing money!" and 1t is further pointed out that a
holiday for the purpose of bathing. once n week,
or even oftener, stipulated for by the guilds
and generally recognized as a legitimate de-
mand. II appears, therefore, that the current
notion of tho habitual unclean illness Of the
medieval man needs to be considerably modi-
fed. when one investigates closely the condi-
tons of town life and finds facilities everywhere
for bathing. in winter and summer alike. In
tidiness and uncleanlness, according to our
notions. there may have been In the streets |
and dwellings. owing to inadequate provisions
for the disposal of refuse, but we must not |
therefore extend this idea to the person and i'm
agine that the medeval German craftsman, or |
even agricultural laborer. was as dirty as is the
koumaDian peasant OF to-day
When the wages just mentioned as received |
the prices OF commodities previously cited in |
connection with the peasantry. the comparative |
ease or their circumstances will be appreciated.
The extent OF their well-being may be further |
deduced from the wealth of their guilds, which,
although varying in different places, formed at
all times a considerable proportion of the |
wealth OF the town. The guild system was
pased upon the notion That the individual mas
ter workman or tourneyman was working as
much interest IA fnrh ia
advantage. Each member OF guild was under
the twofold obligation to labor. and to
labor In accordance with the rules laid
down oy his guild; at the same time
ne had the right 10 equal enjoyment
with his fellow guildsmen OF all advan-
vantages pertaining to the particular branch Of
industry In which he was engaged. Every
gulidsman had TO work himself In his own per-
SON. no contractor was tolerated who himself,
IN ease ana sioth doth i've on the sweat OF
others and puneth himself up In lustful pride"
Were master workman Ill and unable to man
age the AFFAIRS OF the workshop, 1t was the coun-
Gil OF the guild ana not himself or his relatives
VINO ihstaied arepresehtatiVe Tor MIN and Looked
aner ms anairs generally II was the guild,
agaih, "hich procured the raw material and
II IN relatively equal proper
uohs among Hs members, or where this
was NO. the case the time and place
- " '"o gurus
man might ouy at a hxed maximum price.
Every master workman had equal right TO the
use u l,s common property ana institutions OF
.he suiu, when IN some industries included
'ne eSsen''a,s oi prouueuoh; Tor instance In the
saSe Vi the "ooi'eh manufacturers, wool
NN'nehs earning rooms bleaching houses, and
Tue iiAe' were common TO the whole guild. 1t 10
needless TO say that the relations between the
master ana the Journeymen and the master and
the apprentices were rigorouslya fixed, down 10
lhe hinu'est details The system was pat
rlAIohai In It's character In the heyday OF the
GUMS every apprentice and most Of