Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-19
WAGES HERE AND ABROAD.

Bureau Of Railroad Economies
The bereau of railway economics
has completed the second of its com
paratiye studies of railway conditions
In the United States and the principal
countries OF Europe. This relates to
the wages paid railway employees and
the cost OF living and is based on the
latest years for which comparative da-
ia are available.
The average daily compensation of
railway employees of all classes for the
year 1910 was in the United States
s. %; in the United Kingdom s1.O5;
excluding supplementary allowances
negligibly affecting the average, il was
in Prussia Hesse 81 cents, and IN Aus
tria 50 cents. The lowest paid rail-
way employe in the United States. the
ordinary trackman, receives a greater
compensation than many of the rail
way employees of France, even those
Of higher grades and with responsible
duties. The compensation of railway
employees IS from two to 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
$ll17; Of fremen, $G.G7. In the same
year enginemen on American railways
received an average weekly compen-
sation Of $3.50, counting sig DAYS TO
the week, and fremen S15.24. Recent
returns make II clear that in 1912 en-
Einemen and firemen in the United
states are compensated at rates Of paw
Tor specific runs that are two, three
and four times as high as the CORE
spending rates on representative Eng
lish railways. The annual compensa-
tlon OF cnginemen in the United States
as reported now ranges from $1,lOO in
switching service TO over s.. 500 in pas
senger service, and OF fremen from
500 In switching service to over 81. 700
in passenger service.
For continental Europe official re-
turns in requisite detail are not avail.
able for later year than 1908. The
salaries and allowances Of the typical
onsinoman in Germany amounted for
that year 10 $G4G.>S, in Austria 10
SNtu.Np. OF fireman in Germany 10
Si2i5s; in Austria. 10 $53203. The
annual compensation OF enginemen on
two OF the principal railways of France
ranged In 1895 from S505.GG 10 s90G91
and OF fremcn from $324.2i 10 s5g5.9S
In Italy Cngilemeu received in 1905
salary and allowances included. from
S5>ll0 20 $Sl2.70 a year. firemeu from
$&a0.3o 10 $475.05 a year. In thes,
continental countries the maximum
compensation is received only aftel
many years OF service.
The average annual COMPENSATION o,
ensinemen in the United States il
1905 on an estimated basis Of 300 DAYS
service was $1,225. OF firemen, 1892
ir this country the rate of compensa
ton 10 these employees does not depen5
upon length Of service.
In Belgium eugiuemen received II
1907 from $23lG 70 $3.50 a month
fremen from Sl7.37 to $23I6 a month
conductors and station employees from
&c cents to &c cents a day. In II
United States, In the same year. 1907
euginemen averaged on the basis O
p days service. $l0T.5O a month
firemen, SG3.50 a month: conductors
$500 a day; station employees fror
Sis 10 sos a day.
The rental Of a three or four-roor
house or fat is almost as high in Bel
lin, Paris or London as Throughout
the United States, but in England an
on the continent it generally run
from $50 TO $50 a year less. Til
quantity of food and fuel estimated b
the board OF trade Of England as tn
standard OF consumption of a typics
workinsmans family costs in tn
United States Us per cent more tina
In France or Germany. 35.3 per Ger
more than in Belgium. and Is per Ger
more than in the United Kingdom.
II Is well within the truth TO g,
innate In a broad and general way tina
while the cost OF living OF a railwa
employe in the United States is les
than 50 per cent higher than that {
q corresponding employee in the Unite
Kingdom or on the continent his con
rensat!on averages over twice a
great.