The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-16

Samuel GOmDers.
tiers responding to his awakened do-
slres for equality with his Amarlcan
nelghbors, and in general a larger on4
freer life. ~
How often do these people "a,
meat?" is q question the American ~
Europe finds himself asking wban
looking about among
Meat Is usually from % to 100 Der
cent higher in price than in the Uni.
ted States. Naples and vicinity is
often spoken Of as Offering plentiful
and cheap living. Within the bound
ed district Of the port Of Naples are
large cold storage warehouses whence
meat is furnished to vessels in the
American and Mediterranean service.
It is American meat. If it could be
carted just one hundred yards from
the warehouse through the gates Of
the great iron fence into Naples. this
meat could be sold at from rs to 50
per cent. below local prices. The
warehouse owners stand ready to do
business with all Italy, furnishing a
better grade Of meat at a greatly re-
auced prices, if the tariff barrier were
removed. This is but a single illus
tration Of a general fact. Staple
American agricultural products
wheat, fruits, cheese-in many parts
Of Europe are sold at lower thar the
local prices or as low The immigrant
coming to America finds that, il h.
can buy in quantity and Gin
cases where he need not his flour,
fuel, potatoes, oil, sugar, coffee, salt
the essentials for his plain table-all
cost less than they ordinarily do in
the land he left. The cheapness and
abundance Of many varieties of fruits
and Of melons and tomatoes is a
surprise to him-closely after the
most pressing necessities comes a line
Of things cheaper than in Europe
cotton clothing, including overalls,
jumpers, shoes (the American shoe
has a sale all over the c~Ontinent);
newspapers, the cent buying twice TO
our times the reading matter con-
tanned in a German, French or ItaI-
ian paper. Access to good water rem
ders expenditure for alcoholic drinks
less common. The cheapness of good
amusementS in America deserves
more attention than has been given
the subject by the professional in
vesigator; it is a social factor having
an enormous influence on the taste
and education Of the working class
public. The possibility of regarding
outlay for amusements as one the reg
uldI 1SC11I III AdAilly SApCaAoSS II ca
indication Of the working class stand
ard of living.
How the wage-earners and theF
families attire themselves is not so
much a question Of the cheapenss OF
clothing as It is of what is left over
for this purpose after food, shelter,
and other unavoidable family needs
have been provided for. The tea
ture Of climate, national customs, ana
class standards must also be c0nsid-
cred. In southern countries, where the
same clothes are worn the year
around, people nay apear we'll in pup
lie at half the xpens required III
the north, in America where there are
four seasons. In the United Kingdom
the quite poor dress in much the SaHIo
clothing summer and winter, the laI50
proportion Of the people IN sh40o5
clothes in the streets Of Dublin, Man
chester or London gives an lmpTe9-
sion to the American observer OIL d
poverty.
: The masses make a better apptai,
in Paris and Berlin. In ltaIE "
young fellow may be a dandy IN q
straw hat and a cotton duck SUI"
wool n silk stuffs, laces an
kid gloves cost less abroad thah "
the United States-a fact, ho"elg,
bears as lightly in an lhqU-5
the COnOlIlOnS Oh Tic mH
does the tariff on the masterpiece
art.
The housing of the Wage-Woih'
the various European countries
compared with that of the same 80
in America would in order 10 "'-~
out the full truth, require a long an"
study. When the facts ":..g
as%certained, the real point reInal.,, a+s
be how to present tnt
in order to create an exact II"P.E
sion Of the truth. Besides III hp
inc comparisons, a difficulty Ton-
in fixing an American s~tandaLn-