The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-22
A CONTRAST BETWEEN ENG
LAND AND THE UNITED
STATES

"The average American-born man
is not thrifty. The system of COIN
age is one of the chief causes of his
empty pocket by the middle of the
week. Only nickel or dime, he
says, but to the alien it represents
five or ten times that sum, because
of his lower coin units. The starting
of the Postoffice Savings Bank should
prove great blessing. To be out of
work in New York means to be down
and out in a very short time.
'The prices of the necessities of
life do not vary so much between
New York and London as is general
ly supposed. In many instances the
difference is purely artificial. When
thousands of tons of food to initiate
the prices, so that the promoters can
squander the profits in riotous living
in Europe, one is apt to think the
American, with the vote in his hand,
is truly one of the flock of 10000, 900
goats that the trusts milk year in
and year out.
Il should think a law could be
passed to compel the storage plants
to clear out all stocks every three
months, and for seven days show
empty boards.
81 find some fresh fruits as cheap
here as in Finland, such as pears,
peaches, grapes, bananas, pineapples,
melons, etc. Domestic cotton goods
are as cheap-sheeting, socks, shirts,
collars, women's wear-but their life
is cut short by the use of chloride of
lime in all the large washing plants.
Shoes are slightly dearer, and do not
last as long, the average American
shoe being lighter in construction.
Clothes are dear, and the quality of
the cloth of suits from $40 to SIS
poor in the extreme. The English
cloth contains more wool and lasts
three or four times longer. English
workingmen can obtain a good, dura-
BILE suit from $3.50 up. The 40 per
cent. duty on wool has brought about
that condition. Coal is dearer here
than in England, but meat, poultry,
lard and eggs are not much higher,
Sugar, bread, butter, vegetables are
dearer Rents here average twice as
much as on the other side.
"City transportation is dear here,
the cheapest ride being five cents,
where the English workman rides for
cent and the masses for two cents.
Workmen's tickets into London
from the suburbs are big advan-
tage to the English worker, the jour-
ney to London and back, sixteen
miles, costing only sixteen cents.
1.-THE English store worker has the
advantage of the American by the
early closing bill, which insures ev-
cry store worker halliday holiday
every week in the year. The work
mans compensation bill is another
great boon to the English toiler. "A
weeks notice or a weeks pay is the
rule. / do think it is unfair to lay
off surplus help at the close of bust
ness day without minutes notice.
''The old-age pension is making
provision for many disabled workers
in England.
But to extend some of these adj
he
true American; the transient alien
who is her eonly to save and depart,
would be the one to profit by the bet
ter conditions
Medicines are dear here and bar
bering is exorbitant, a hair cut and
a shave in quite a secondhand parlor
costing 80 cents. John Bull gets the
whole job for six cents.
THE cost of living is going up both
in New York and London, but in this
city wages are surely going down.
whereas in London they are slowly
getting better. To ask for raise in
New York is as good as throwing up
your position, and when you get out
you find dozens only too willing to
take your place at a lower rate.
1.-THE American certainly pays
through his nose for his drinks. Five
cents for a miserable little glass of
beer. third of which is froth. Four
or five of them would not make
good old English pint, for which the
Britisher pays to 6 cents.
1.-THE housing of the worker is an
other problem that is receiving much
attention in England The London
county council is building in its beau
tiful suburbs hundreds of lovely
semi-detached villas within ten miles
of the heart of London and a few
minutes from the stations. These,
with made-up roads and sidewalks,
electric street and house lighting, gas
cookers, six rooms with bath, garden
in front and back, cost from $3.50 per