The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-20

Last summer while | was in Europe,
writes William II. Curtis in the Chica-
go IIecord, / received a letter from Mr..
Gecfge B. Bryan of Chicago, asking
me}to secure information that would
enable a comparison to be made be-
tween the pauperism of free trade Eng
land and protected America, and |
spent considerable time in securing sta
tistics and obtaining the opinions OF
men whose knowledge and experience
authorized them to speak upon this
subject | did not go to the politicians,
but to the philanthroplsts, and TO the
leaders of the labor unions. The almost
invariable answer to the question was
that pauperism in Great Britain was
due to drink rather than to low Wag-
es or any other cause. John Burns,
Koir Hardie and other labor aEitators
were quite as positive as the oihcials
of the temperance and benevolent So
cieties, and the universal testimony
was that there was enough labor Of
fered end sufficient wages paid by the
industries of Great Britain to afford
every member of the population a good
living if they would eXpend their money
for the nccessaries of life instead of
in its vices. OF course a great many
people, infirm of mind and body, are
a charge upon the public, but these are
only a small percentage of the great
total requirinfrelief from poverty and
distress.
SOME COMPARISONS
John Burns, who is. perhaps, the best
authority upon such subjects among
all the labor leaders Of Europe, told me
that while the average wages of all the
working people in Great Britain was
only about twO-fifths of the average
paid in the United States, and the diff
ference in the cost of living was about
the same, the amount Of money spent
for liquor was very much larger. Meats
and some other forms of food are more
expensive in Great Britain than in the
United States. but rents are cheaper
and the working people are not BcCus
toned to such Il lavish diet as thos" OF
the same class in the United States
The same quality of wearing apparel
sells for about the same price in boil
countries, except the finer fabrics
which are much higher on this side OF
the water because of the duties impOS-
cd by our tariff laws. But the Ameri'
can workman and his wife and daugh.
ters would not be willing to wear the
garments that are commonly worn bA
the laboring classes of Great Britain
Nor will they live in the same way
The standard of living ana the stand
ard Of morals, comforts, culture ant
intelligence are much higher here than
in England. There is a higher degree
of self-respeCt and ambition.
The recent census Of England shows
that $40 families live in single rooms
without windows, and that of a tOta
of $4,000 families of two persons cl
more 525,656, or rather more than three
fifths live in either one or two rooms
or the remaining 33S,4il families, 1i3,
3SG live in three rooms, g.. 7S9 in foul
rooms, 35,62S in five rooms, 25,673 i'm sil
rooms, 16, iS2 in seven rooms, 1903 il
eight rooms $500 in nine rooms. 1856
in ten rooms, 1896 in houses h1Nin,
eleven from fifteen rooms, and Sc on
The same statistics show that nearl!
10 per cent. Of the entire population O
Great Britain is living with more thai
two persons in room, the actual fig
ures being 3,26S,O1l. Of the populatio,
of London S3OlS2 are living with mor
than two persons in a room.
This extraordinary condition is du
more to tradition and custom than t.
the tariff. 1t is an almost universe
rule in Great Britain for children no
only to follow the trades of their par
ents, not to accept the same wages
live in the same rooms and i'm the sam
way. DR.. Joseph Parker told m@ tha
he knew of members of his church
the famous City Temple-and the.
were Christian people. who live five il
a room. In London lie Der cent. q
the population lives four in room.
DRINK THE CAUSE.
Trade unions, technical schools AM
benevolent societies have done muCl
to elevate the condition of the labor
ing population. but it is still muc
lower than in the United States an
in many places descends to degrade
ton | asked John Burns what wa
the greatest cause of poverty i'm Eng
land.
Drink" was his laconic reply.
What is the greatest obstacle I
the advancement of the workin
classes?"
Drink" he said again.
What is the reason that the work
ing classes of Great Britain are les