The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-05-27
BALANCE IN our FAVOR

Ii the average Wayfaring man were |
told that labor in the United States
is paid 1870 per cent more for its
work than in Great Britain. he would |
probably be put down his informant
as a liar, and desiging partisan
and politician to boot.
1t is to be admitted that living is
high, and that the cost of necessities
has increased more than wages have
To some extent that Is also true
abroad. But taking high prices In
to account on both sides of the POND
and also having carefully investigat
ed wages In all parts Of England ano
Wales, and In representative Americsi
cities. the deliberate judgement-not
of biased American-but of no lss
an individual than the assistant secre.
tary Of the London Board OF Trade
that IAN English workingman with an
average family, maintained under Am
erican conditions with the food to
which he has been accustomed, woul,
find his wages In the United States
higher by 100 per cent. with slightly
shorter hours, while this expenditure G
food and rent would be higher by 5.
per cent"
That isn't saying conditions here
at home are ideal, OF that things are
as they should be by any means. But
1t suggests feature of the case
now before congress that ought net
to be lost on folk who see nothing
in a protective tariff but means
to increase the cost of living.
It is doubtful IL such comment ev-
or before came from such an unbias-
ed source. The report, which ia In
great detail and compares the wages
paid In occupation after occupatiol .
must have created something of a
sensation in England, for 1t leads tn
London Times to make the following
startling admission:
"The broad upshot of the reports
dealing with European countrie (,
including our own has been to show
that In regard to the conditions In
vestigated, the artisan of this country
has In a varying degree. the advantage
over his fellows In Germany, France
and Belgium He earns somewhat
higher wages, works somewhat short
or hours. and pays somewhat less
for the necessities of life. Without
going into qualifying details or min
or distinctions, we may accept that
as the broad result But when we
come to the United States, the pic
ture Is turned Almost completely
around. From the abstract which we
publish the reader will see that the
workman In America enjoys an enor
nous advantage over his fellow in
England, and an advantage far
greater than the latter enjoys ovel
the German or the Frenchman. He
earns more than two and one-Quar
ter times as much money and works
shorter hours for It; SO that his
hourly rate Of earnings Is as 24(
to 100, or pretty nearly twice ant
one. lalf as much. Against the enor
nous difference In wages there II
something to be said in the way o
expenditure. Rent Is twice as higl
and food Is about one-third highe
than 10 ENGLAND, but the cost of liv
ing altogether In only 152 to 100
or about half as much again.
Nov, these facts completely dis
pose Of two widely current misconceI
tons. OF misstatements. One is tina
the higher wages admittedly paid II
America are swallowed up and more
BY the higher cost of living, which
IL believed to surpass the standard
Of this country in regard to the ne
cessities OF life by an enormous
amount, and to constitute an intoler
able burden. The present report ex
Pill lilly states the contrary, at the
conclusion Of a long. elaborate, ant
and extremely careful comparison o
the two countries. In the United
States. 1t says, much greater mar
gin CT earnings over cost of living
is available. even when allowance
has been made for the increased ex
penditure on food or rent. The mar
gin IL clearly large. making possi
BILE a command CT the necessities
and conveniences and minor luxurles
Of life that Is both monthly and really
greater than that enjoyed by the
corresponding class In this country"