Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-06-08
COST COMPARISONS.
AN UNANSWERABLE ARGUMENT.
rH> AGAINST FREE TRADE.

Wages and Cost Of Living In Trenton and
Tunstan, England Facts Cleaned From
Consular Observation-Disclosures Benefits
Clearly Shown.
Mr.. Bayard, when that genial but
rot particularly successful statesman
was in charge of our foreign relations,
ran the consular reports of the depart
ment Of state as political annex He
promptly deposed the chief of the bureau
and put a Brooklyn millionaire in
charge, who proceeded to so edit and
suppress reports as to favor free trade
doctrines. Mr.. Blaine dropped the mil
ionaire and restored the former chief to
his place. Mr.. Gresham again showed
the chief of the bureau down a notch
and put tried Democrat on deck. The
present chief is not millionaire, but
he means we'll for the Democratic doc
trine and has been making desperate
efforts to got such consular reports as
would be of service. Unfortunately
there was an interregnum of Boston re-
form, and when Mr.. Quincy got through
playing on the appointment keyboard
the new men were not of the class who
could efficiently help out with this work.
Consul Burgess in his report COM
pares wages and cost of living in Tren-
ton with the same items in Burslem,
England, the town near to Tunstall,
whence he gets his data.
Let us take his report under the re-
spective heads:
HOUSE RENT.
"In the United States we consider
the rent for the house a fixed quantity,
and the fact that house in Trenton,
containing six Or seven rooms, rents for
IS per month, and similar one as to
the number of rooms in Burslem rents
for 81 per month would at once strike
one that the difference in house rent
was very great. In England, however,
there are other expenses to be paid by
the tenant, and the difference in the
construction of the house in itself en-
tails additional outlay.
"What does the workingman get for
his IS in Trenton and what does no get
for his 81 in Burslem? In the former he
has house with good cellar under the
entire house, hot and cold water in his
kitchen, and in many cases in other
parts Of the house; closets in almost ev-
cry room; gas, and generally nice lit
tie garden, the size depending on the
part Of the city; in the latter, in many
cases, set of brick walls, built upon
the surface Of the ground, with only
shallow foundation. Where there is
cellar, it is only a small one under one
room, cold water tap, sometimes in
side and sometimes outside the kitchen;
no closets, necessitating the expense of
'dressers, wardrobes or movable clos
cts OF some sort on the part of the ten
ant; sometimes, but rarely, gas, and if
any yard small one entirely paved
with brick. 49,.
-''Besides the rent of 81, he must pay
all rates, taxes, church tithes and water
rates on the property and must keep the
house in repair inside and leave it in
good condition. There are other ele-
ments entering into the cost of living in
England, which may be named here, of
which the American workman knows
nothing viz, stamp duties, licenses,
etc. If he wishes a lease or perhaps
deed for the property, he must have said
document stamped by the government
with a stamp of the value of from Is
cents to So. so, according to the rental
agreed upon. II he desires to 20 into
domestic service, he or his employer
must pay government license of So. rs
per annum. If he has a bright, intelli-
gent son with a taste for the law, before
he can become an indentured clerk to
a solicitor he must first pay the
'crown" the sum of $500, and after
completing his studies he must take out
a further license at the cost of $3.50 be-
fore he can present a case in court or at
the bar. If he wishes to become notary
public, he must be at further cost of
$3.50. If, however, the young mans
tastes run toward medicine, license fee
Of $50 is required before he can practice
There are perhaps more whose tastes run
in the direction Of matrimony. A spe-
cial license for the same costs $50.
IF the English workman has little
savings in the bank, he must pay the
government 2 cents for every check he
draws. He must pay the same for every
receipt he signs of amounts over $40.
All notes or due bills must also bear a
government stamp of from rs cents to
several dollars, according to the amount
If he keeps dog, he must have an an
nual government license of SIS for each
canine. If he keeps gun, he must show
a $2.5 license, and to shoot winged
game he must pay SIS. If he be a trades
man who keeps a horse or pony and
wishes to keep a carriage for the pleas
ure of his family, he must pay the gov
eminent So: so per wheel per annum.
Thus we find many more two wheel
than four wheel carriages throughout all
England. These and many more Of
like kind are incidental expenses not
often taken into consideration when
comparing the costs Of living and might
fairly be classed under the head of rent,
as every householder feels them to a
greater or less extent, and they become
part of the annual cost Of living, although.