The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-02
WAGES IN THE UNITED STATES
AND WAGES PAID In EUROPE
Hon. James +. Dubois, of HalStead, Pa Now Consul
General al st. Gall, Switzerland, Makes Some Inter-
esting Comparisons.

Hon. James r. Dubois, of Hallstead,
Pa, now American consul general at
ST. Gall, Switzerland, has sent to the
state department at Washington the
following interesting comparison be-
tween labor conditions in this country
and Europe:
The following paragraph has been
heralded through the United States in
recent times: THE European laborer
gets small wages, but the cost Of living
there is proportionately small" If the
paragraph had read: THE European
laborer gets small wages, but the man
ner in which he lives makes living
cheaper there than in the United
States" the truth would have been told.
desire to make some comparisons
which will disclose the actual condition
of things relating to the cost of living
among the laboring classes in Europe.
l will take two skilled wOrkmen in the
United States and carefully compare
their receipts and expenses, their homes,
their mode of life, the cost Of their
food, clothing. rent, taxes, fuel ana
amusements, with men operating in the
same department of toll in Europe, and
hope that the result may be carefully
sire to know in what land the great
mass of human workers are blessed
with the best conditions
| will take the first examples from
two cities, one in the United States
and one in a fairly prosperous nation
of Europe. The population Of each is
about 100000 They are industrial CEN
ters, and the commercial surroundings
are nearly the same. Both have excel
lent religious and educational facilities.
In both the system OF free puphc
schools has been brought to high
state of perfection, so that the chlldren
of these wOrkmen have equally Sood
educational advantages. | VIII select
my first examples from the class known
as carpenters and joiners, and, in order
to bring the comparisons into easy and
striking contrast, I present the follow
ing statement, giving a single question
in one paragraph, followed by two
answers--one from the American and
the other from the European work
man:
CROSS SS-EXAMINED.
Ouestion-What wages do you recelNe'
Ansvcr-American, S2.37 day; Euro
pean, 50 cents a day
QUESTIONABLE you able to support your
family?
Answer-American, Yes, l do so com
fortably; European, No. my wife and
daughter earn something to help me-
Question-What are your average year
ly earnings?
Answer--American, Si9S; European, $2})
Question-What does it cost you yeal
TO live?
Answer-American, about $ll2, my fam
ily consisting of a wife and two children
European, S251, my family consisting OF d
wife and three children.
This shows "a surplus for the American
of $50. and deficit for the European OF
s21, which is covered by the earnings OF
his wife and daughter
Question-Of what does your daily rooo
consist?
Answer American, coffee tea, milk
f, sugar, meats (such as steaks. roast Deel
and mutton, ham, bacon, pork, sausages'
fresh fish, vegetables of all kinus in sea
son, wheat bread, oatmeal, wheatletc
hominy, buckwheat cakes, butter, eggs
and fruits in season-that Is, | have TINS
list with many other kinds of food, sucf
as canned goods, to select from, and my
table is usually amply supplied; Euro
pean. good bread, potatoes, potato soup
coffee, beer, cider, common wine and now
and then sausage or some ordinary cuts
of beef. / may say that our good bread
is our read staif of life. 1t is nourishins
satisfying and cheap; therefore il is ON
chief diet.
QuestiOn-What do you pay for rent"
AnsWer-Amcrican. from s. TO so 3
month for good, comfortable house oi
six rooms located in he suburbs, and tC
which there is attached a good garden
European, 81 month for three rooms il
the third story (water on first door, house
located in cheap ANA densely populated
part Of the city All fuel and water mas
be carried up two fights of stairs.
AN HONEST PICTURE
The above 10 an honest picture of th'
condition OF two skilled workmen, ont
in the new world and the other in th'
old, but both employed in the same de
partment of human labor. 1t has beel
drawn from knowledge and not from
Imagination, and any thoughtful Amer
ican skilled laborer who views it will
intelligence and a genuine desire I,
know the truth must feel Profound!
grateful that his lot and that Of hi
children has been cast on the soil o
the great republic and under the pro
lection of it's flag and institutions.
The statement already referred to
to the effect that European labOrer
get small wages, but that the cost o
living that is proportionateIy small
leads the careless observer to beiev,
that the cost Of living is cheaper il
Europe than i'm America. The opposite
is the truth. The difference in the cos
of living is accounted for by the diff
ference in the manner of living, anC
I hope ~ clearly demonstrate this b!
another example. Take a locomotive
firemen in the United States. | know
many os them: | know what wages the!
receive and how they live. An ordin
ary locomotive fireman in the Cnitet
stat as earns usually $50 "A month, and
counting loss of time. he earns on al
average about $3.50 a year at the low
est estimate. European locomotive fire
men consider themselves well paid /
their earnings amount to S"2 per montl
or sea per year. As to the manner o
living, ] m satisfied that One-third q
the iircnCn OF the United States pos
sess their own homes, and large ma
iCrjty of all could be in the same happ
condition if they lived ON the sam
economical basis as the European fire