The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-07-11
Railway Wages and Cost Of Living
in the United States and
Europe.

railway Wages and Cost of Living
in the United States and
Europe.
The Bureau of RIA lway Econom.-
lies has completed the second OF its
comparative studies OF railway con-
ditions in the United States and the
principal countries o, Europe. This
relates to the wages paid railway
employees and the cost OF living.
and is based OIL the latest years for
which comparative data are availa-
Bile.
The average daily compensation
of of railway employees of all classes
for the year 1910 was in the United
States, 1929; in the United kim
dom, $1.05; excluding supplemental
ny allowances negligibly affecting
the average, it was in Prussa-Hesse
81 cents, and in Austria SO cents
The lowest paid railway employee
in the United States, the ordinary
trackman, receives greater COM
pensation than many of the railway
employees, of France, even those of
higher grades and with responsible
duties. The compensation of rail-
way employees is from two or three
times as high in the United States
as in Italy.
A recent report of the English
Board of Trade on railway wages
shows that the average weekly pay
of enginemen in the United Kingdom
in 1907 was SILLY; of firemen,
1851 In the same year enginemes
on American railways received an
average weekly compensation of
$3.50, counting six days to the
week, and firemen 1921. Recent
returns make 1t clear that in 1912
enginemen and firemen in the United
States are compensated at rates OF
pay for specific runs that are two,
three and four times as high as the
corresponding rates on representa-
tive English railways. The annual
compensation of enginenen in the
United States, as reported by two
representative railway companies,
now range from $1.10O in switching
service to over $4,000 in passenger
service, and of firemen from $700
in switching service to over $1,000
in passenger service.
For Continental Europe official
returns in requisite detail are not
available for later year than
1908. The salaries and allowances
OF the typical enginemen in Germany
amounted for that year to $646.88,
in Austria to $870.S0; of fireman
in Germany to s424.59, in Austria
to $532.03 The annual compensa-
tion of enginemen on two Of the
principal railways of France ranged
in 1908 from $505.66 to $90691,
and of firemen from $324.24 to
$595.98. In Italy enginemen receiv-
ed in 1908, salary and allowances
included, from $581.1v to $S12.70 a
year; fremen, from $4,000 to
$75.05 year. In these Continental
countries the maximum compensa-
ton is received only after many
years of service.
The average annual compensation
of enginemen in the United States
in 1908, on an estimated basis of
300 days service, was $1,335; of
fremen, 1892. III this country the
rate Of compensation to these en-
ployees does not depend on length of
service.
In Belgium enginemen received
in 1907 from $2316 to $3.50 a
month; firemen, from $1737 to
$2316; conductors and station en-
ployees, from 46 cents to SO cents
day. In the United States, in the
same year 1907, enginemen averaged
on the basis of Is days service.
$107.50 month; firemen, $3.50 a
month; conductors, $3.69 a day; sta
ton employees, from $1.75 to sos
a day.
The rental Of a three or four room
house or fiat is almost as high in
Berlin, Paris or London as through
out the United States, but in Eng
land and on the Continent it gene
rally runs from thirty dollars to
ninety dollars year less. The guam
tity of food and fuel estimated by
the Board Of Trade of England as
The standard consumption OF a typ
lcal workingman,s family costs in
the United States SITS per cent.
more than in France or in Germany;
$3.50 per cent more than in Bel
gium and 3S per cent mort than in
thhe United Kingdom.
1t is we'll within the truth to es-
Innate In broad and general way
that while the cost of living of a
railway employee in the United
States is less than fifty per lcent
higher than that of corresponding
employee in the United Kingdom or
On the Continent, his compensation
averages over twice as great