Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1912-06-21
RAILWAY WAGES AND
COST IN THE UNITED
STATES ANO EUROPE

comparative studies of railway con-
dltiaEs in the United States and
the principal counrriC If Europe.
/ This relates to the wages paid
railway employees AM the cost of
living, and is based on the latest
years for which comparative data
are available
( The average daily compensation
Of railway employees of all classe S
for the year 1910 was in the United
States, $2.23; in the United
Kingdom. Sl.O5: excluding sup,
Elementary allowances negIigibly
affecting the average, il was in
I Prussia-Hcsse 81 cents, and in
Austria 50 cents. The lowest paid
railway employee in the Unite d
States, the ordinary trackman.
receives a greater compensation
than many of the railway employees
OF Frances, even those of higher
grades and with responsible
duties. TIE compensation of rail
way employees is from two to three
times as high in the United States
as in Italy 4 recent report of the
English Board Of Traue on railway
wages shows that the average
weekly pay of enginemcn in the
! United Kingdom in 1907 was
Sll.l7; oi firemen, S6.67. In the
same year engiDemen on American
railways received an average
weekly compensation of $3.50,
counting six days to the week. ard
/ tiremen $l5.24. Recent returns
make il clear that in 1912 engine
mcE and iremen in the United
States arc 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 enginemen in the
United States, as reported by twu
representative railway companies,
now ranges from 81. 100 in switch
ing service to over $4,000 in pass
enger service, and of firemen from
S70O in switching service ito over
! 81, 200 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 engineman H. Germany
amounted for that year to S646 SS,
in Austria to SS7O.SG; of fireman
in Germany to $d24 50, in Austria
to S532.30. The auUal con pensa-
/ tion of enGincnen on two of the
/ principal railways of France ranged
in 1908 from $5O5.G6 10 $9OC.9l,
and fremen from $324.24 to
/ $95.9S. In Italy enginemen re.
ceived in 1908, salary and allow
ances included, from S5Sl.lO TO
SSl2.IO a year; fremen, from
$330.30 to S475.O5 year. In these
. Continental countries the maxi.
mum compensation is received only
after many years Of services.
The average annual compensa.
ton of enEinemen in the United
States in 1908, on an estimated
basis Of 800 days service, was
Sl,H36: Of fremen. 1892. In this
country the rate of compensation
to 'haSc employees does not depend
on length Of service.
In Belgium eugincmen received
in 1907 from $23.l6 to S8S. 60 a
month; fremen, from $l7.37 to
$2%.l6 month: conductors and
station employees. from d6 cents
to 96 cents day. In the United
States in the same year 1907,
cnginmcn averaged, on the basis of
70 days service, SlO75o month:
frcmemen. s68.5O a month; con
ductors, $500 a day: station
employe s, from Sl.7S 10 2 O5 n
day.
The rental of three or four
room house or fat is almost as
high in Berlin, Paris, or London as
throughout the United States. but
in England and on the Contincn, 8
generally runs from thirty dollars
to ninety dollars a year less. The
quantity Of food and fuel esti.
mated by the Board Of Trade Of
England as the standard consump.