Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-04
BICYCLES IN GERMANY.
Working People Using the Wheel "a
Great Deal.

"The social-political significance Of the
bicycle is topic discussed in the last an
nuai report of the supervising officer of in
1ustry for Prussia, and it is now being
taken up by the German press.
The Bremen Nachrichten of recent date
says:
THE supervisor of industry for the dis
trict of Leignitz declares that the bicycle
is being more and more used by the work.
ingman to carry him to and from his place
of work, and that it will surely tend to ele-
vate both the moral and industrial charac-
ter of the laDoring class. The opportunity
which the wheel offers will be taken ad-
vantage of, especially by that class of peo-
pie who live on the outskirts of the larger
cities, and who may possess their OWE
homes and gardens. These people, who
spend the hours of the day in the work
shops, will, thanks to the bicycle, be en-
abled to take "a refreshing and eXhiiratinS
spin to their homes, and. being there. do
work in the garden and field which usually
fell to the lot of the women.
United States Consul Keenan, comments
on the situation as follows in report to
the State Department:
ut is t. be noted that many of the labor
Ing people of Germany, by possessing their
own homes and gardens and producing
there a means of living for themselves,
constitute an important factor in the prob
lem Of the industrial life of the empire. A
of Bremen own their own dwellings and
gardens away from the city. The govern
ment recognizes this condition, and sup
plies a 'workingman's' train to convey
them TO and from their work at a cost not
much more than the 5treet-car fares.
THE railroad is a government concern
The working people who choose to live in
this manner are either born on the prem
ises or they come from the country dis
tricts, where they inherit a taste FOR that
way of living. The working people who
crowd the city and who must pay rent
from which they receive 10 product in re-
turn, demand and receive higher wage
rate than those who live in the country
but they live neither so happily NOR so
WELL
Of Hiidesheim and Lunnenburg states that
"a bicycle firm in Gottingen is making ef-
forts to secure cheap and good houses for
the laboring man Ordinarily they are MAX
Ing an effort to create a demand for, and
to secure the sale of, cheap bicycles) This
borer at an especially low rate and in case
the laborer does not or cannot use the
wheel. 1t will be taken back at the price
paid for 1t
1T is obvious that this proposed scheme
Is as enterprfsing as ii is philanthropic
III the working people make the bicycle an
article OF use, 1t goes without saving that
the demand for that class of wheel will be
great. without such demand the German
made wheel Will have difficulty in holding
IT'S own against the American product. II
appears that if the working people use the
German bicycle. the social place for the
wheel will be lost and the elite will Use
Only the American make
One year ago. the leading re- all wheel
concern in Bremen handled the sWeser,
wheel entirely and had an American yhee,
as curiosity sample. Today this house
handles American wheels onIy"