Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11
LABOR IN GERMANY
A Land of Long Hours and
Low Wages.
THE COST OF LIVING
CONDITIONS THAT HOLD IN FAC
TORIES AND ON FARMS.
Effect of Hard Times-No Eight-Hour
Law There - Women
Who Toll.
THE COST OF LIVING

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
BERLIN.
Is any American workman out of a job?
If so, he had better look for another at
home. AS far as / can learn, the labor
market of Europe is overstocked. There are
something like a million idle workmen in
England. The industrial centers have
many out of employment, and In London
there are frequent parades of the poor.
There is no room for extra workmen in
France, and Germany is still in hard times.
This country was on the boom for thirty
years. 1t began to grow when France
paid over her millions to Germany. Fac
tories and workshops then sprang up all
over the empire. The people fiocked from
the farms to the cities. and the country
changed from an agricultural to manu-
featuring one. Trade was pushed in every
direction. The towns grew and wages rose.
This state continued until about 1900,
when, owing to overspeculation, the bal
loon of prosperity burst, the gas that came
from it asphyXiated some of the banks and
they failed, and factories all over the en-
pire began to shut down. Within fifteen
days 1000 men were discharged in Berlin
for lack of work; and the industrial estab-
liShments all over Germany either dismissed,
cut down their forces shortened the
working hours. This condition of hard
times still exists, although things are look
ing up in some branches, owing to the
increased demands from the United States.
In Europe's Biggest Engine Works.
I have spent large part of this week in
some of the most notable factories of Ger
many. 1 have gone through electrical es-
Establishments employing thousands of hands,
and have examined among other works,
a.
makers of the continent having the place
in Germany that the Baidwins hold in the
United States. The most of these factories
are running with less than their usual num-
Der of men. and some which pretend to be
full are giving short time.
The Borsig factory is one of the most
prosperous in Germany. 1t has a large for
eign trade, and 1t is somewhat owing to
this that 1t keeps its men busy. 1t Is one
of the big engine works of the world, al
though not as large as the Baldwins.
These works are situated at Tegel, Just
out side Berlin. They cover thirty acres,
and employ about twenty-five hundred men.
The establishment has also mines and
thousand hands, so that altogether the force
Is large one.
Belongs to One Family.
This factory was founded over sixty
years ago by A. Borsig and it still belongs
be run by a corporation or trust, but in
Germany some of the biggest of such es-
Establishments, such as the Borsig and
Krupps. are owned in one family. The two
Borsigs who now manage the works
each under forty. They are active business
men, and spend their time in the factory,
knowing personally all that goes on. In
deed, it is said that either of them could
make an engine if he had to. I met the
younger member of the firm, Mr.. Conrad
Borsig, during my stay at the works. and
he furnished me an English guide to look
over them.
We walked together through the thirty
odd acres of buildings where the steam en-
gines are made, now stopping to watch the
men in the foundrieS pouring red-hOt metal
into the molds. and now going through the
rooms where the vast boilers are riveted to-
gether. There was noise like the thunder
of many hammers which almost deafened
me. Huge travelling cranes, running over
head. lifted boilers weighing many tons as
easily a mother lifts her baby, and ma
chimes bored through steel as though
1T were cheese Here they were making
screws. there lathes were cutting iron like
pine, and here the parts of the locomotives
were assembled and put together for snip
ment to all countries of the world.
Labor Colonies in Germany.
After leaving the works / went through
the colonies which the Borsgs have built
becoming quite common in connection with
the larger German factories. The Krupps
have constructed towns as homes for their
employees. and there are other large IRON
making companies along the Rhine which
have done likewise. These l shall describe
when / visit that region.
Here. near Tegel, the Borsigs have bought
a large tract of land and have built houses
about it which are rented out to their work
men at such prices as will make them pay
low interest on the investment. None but
employees and their families are permitted
TO live in these houses. and the accommoda-
tions are such that they receive more for
their rent than they could get anywhere
else. There is an open space, covering many
acres, in front of these houses. This has
been planted with forest trees, and 1t will
some day be beautiful park.
The Borsigs treat their employees WELL The
men seem TO be satisfied, and l am told
their condition is superior to that of other
German factories. They work but ten
hours day. and such as continue with the
firm certain number of years are given
pensions
Low Wages and Long Hours.
Germany is a land of low wages and
long hours. In the steel and iron industries
50 per week is good pay, and in the textile
mills the wage is still less Mechanics
think they do well II they get 10 cents an
hour. and on the state railways the best
paid engineers receive only $40 per week.
Firemen are paid from So to 81 per week
and porters less than SO. Workmen en-
ployed by the city force are paid equally
low the boys cleaning the streets receiving
70 cents day. On the government works
the average day is nine hours, but IL is
longer everywhere else.
The most of the factories of Berlin claim
TO have ten-hour day. and as the labor