The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-08-05
GERMANY'S BIG INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Weekly incomes and
Progress of the
Trades.

BERLIN-In a comparatively short
time Germany has taken an important
place among the great manufacturing
nations. This extraordinary industrial
development has been accomplished
with little assistance from nature,
and in the face of most dis
couraging difficulties 1t is not
a large country. Its natural re-
sources are of very moderate char
acter, and its geographical position is
anything but advanta geous for the pur-
poses of trade. 1t has never enjoyed
security and the immense military
force necessary to provide peace has
proved great financial burden. Yet
Germany has ADVANCED so rapidly that
she now challenges England in nearly
all the great branches of industry in
which that country eXcels. She rivals
France in many important lines of
trade, and only recently threatened a
tariff war with the United States.
In some respects the industrial classes
of Germany are less favored than work.
men in either England or America
They have less leisure, fewer amuse-I
ments, and smaller amount of money
to spend for either entertainment or
living expenses. yet there enters into
their lives none of the degrade ton and
misery seen in England, or the waste
fulness and discomfort so common in
America. In order to show the ex-
tremely low scale of living in Germany,
the following statement was prepared
by a frugal calculating factory work
man. Instead OF being an instance of
exaggerated economy it is really little
above the income and expense of the
average toiler. Thousands of families
in the German Empire actually live and
acquire competence upon a smaller
stipend than this.
THE COST OF LIVING.
The weekly income of the head of
the family is $6.42; the earnings of his
wife and children 1888; and the in
come derived from keeping a young |
man lodger, so; total, S1025. The |
spendings are as follows: Rent. s1.20; |
bread. SO; meat SLAP: milk, 80; but |
ter. SO; cheese, 10: coffee, .0S; pota-
toes flour and sugar .65; salt, vinegar
and spirits, IA; soap. soda, wax and I
grease, 10; vegetables. %; clothing, |
II; boots, "a; fuel 30; light, .0S; taxes.
10; school and books. .0S; pocket money,
II; sick fund, 10; papers, .03; doctor
and drugs, IA: total. STA. BY figuring !
this to total of f1fty-two weeks. it
shows his annual income to be s533. co. |
and his expenditures S402 4S, leaving a
profit of s130.52 1t Is necessary to do
this because in a. given week he may
not have bought some Of the items
but what he would spend |
for the same during the year would
make him average as quoted above.
In order to live upon such narrow
it follows that amusements
must play a comparatively small part
in the life of the German working peo-
pie and such as they have are mostly
confined to Sundays. AS a rule they
go in for few games. Football, cricket
and baseball matches have little at
traction for them. A case is cited
where a final game between the clubs
of two rival manufacturing towns was
by only sixty-f1ve people. In
or America such a game would
have brought out an attendance of
Theaters and music halls are less
numerous in proportion to the popu-
Iation than in other countries. The
thea tiers in the industrial towns are
always run by the municipalities, and
these places are visited by the working
glasses to limited extent only on Sat
urday and Sunday. Contrary to the
impression the German labor
ars do not spend much money for drink.
The older men cannot afford it. and
they set a good example for the young
pr ones If any one amusement were
designated as being particularly char
acteristic of the German working !
classes. it would appear to be dancing,
During the summer most of them pre- /
Ter to put in their idle time sitting In 7
he park or listening to band concert. ]
FACTORY RULES IN GERMANY. ]
Although his wages are low, and his
few, TIE conditions |
which surround the German laborer IN
his work are more satisfactory than |
hose encompassine the higher priced
workers of other nations Every fac /
.ory must have a set of rules in con- '
;pfcuous place in each department. q
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES