Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1918-08-16

paper comp0sitorp In New York were
getting from So TO 80 a day. accord
ing 10 the shift on which they work.
ed. Book c~ompositors drew - to 80
a day.
You must remember that the New
York wages I have cited we're paid for
8 hours work. while IN Germany the
day was usually from Q to 10 hours.
Among authoritative data thnt had
been gathered In Germany In 1905 I
found a canvass Of 5.04e workinRmen's
families, showing that only 1877 had
incomes reaching $40 a week. To ar
rive at n fair estimate Of wage scales
In 1875, add 81 n week. This IL not
my estimate. but 10 Official.
Row, we are apt to say In this coun-
try that Germany lived nc well on her
wages Ms we did OF ours. but anyone
who has studied the facts finds TINT
this Is n fallacy. In 1910 two-thlrds Of
the people In Chemnltz lived In apart
ments OF three rooms or less. Chem
Mtg has n population OF 2s7.O
/ found In the New York public H.
brary interesting documents showing
results OF Investigations OF Euro
pean costs Of living. In Chemnltz In
1910 II was costing a family OF six
persons between 81 and SO n week for
food. including beer to the extent OF
80 cents. Meat, ish. and sausage ag.
gregated 1925.
These figures represented the plane
OF living OF a ~hlgh-splrited workman,
very much better than the average.
Eggs, cost at the rate OF 20 cents for IA
and coffee was 20 cents n pound. He
used butter, cheese, milk. and bncon.
and grew some Of his vegetables In his
garden. Sometimes the family nte
horseiesh.
Women Garry the Hold.
Food and rent together cost him
more than so a week. For conl he
paid over SO a ton.
His Income tax-nnd II was n time
Of peace. remember-amouDted TO
about 500 TO the state and munich
pallty together, while his other taxes
were between $40 and $15.
After paying for his living and for
such meager nmusements rs he found
In IN occasional visit TO a cheap show
or concert. or perhaps n trip with his
family to the park, he was able to save
only $50 a year.
Every document I found, and every
statement made TO me by Americans
who had managed grent plants In Eu
rope Or had lnbored there, utterly dis
proved the theory that European
wnges were relatively as high az
American. For the average man Il
get ahead financially In Germany wal
practically impossible.
Certainly we don't propose to hav'
In this country any form Of govern
ment contrlbutory to the grinding
down OF our people to the state o.
hopeless submergence.
Now glance Mt Vienna, where womer
were hodcarrlers when the war be
gan-and had been all along. I say
them myself carrying bricks up loni
ladders, and l was shocked at tn
sight.
In Vienna the skilled artisan usu
ally lived in n couple Of rooms sever
floors up. on nm income that did no
exceed SO or 81 a week. Most o
these workmen had fair-slzed families
and for n group Of Ave or six the foo
cost alone was around $3.50 n week
and ever then they sacrificed eggs an
butter, and. to n large extent, meat
All the rest OF the income ordlnaril,
wal eaten up by the rent, leaving moth
Ing for clothing and general expenses
and II was the custom Of these fan
lilies 10 tnke In unmarried men a
dodgers. with the stipend thus RI
ceived and at a sacrifice Of all AZ
proach 20 domestic comfort, II wa
possible TO keep away from abjet
poverty.
Difference In Amerlea.
In Vienna plasterers earned Si.i0
day, and plumbers $i.20; painters
$i.2b or less; pattern makers, $50
week; leather workers, toy maker
bone workers. musical instrumer
makers and %tailors, - to 50 a weeI
Blacksmiths earned So a week; brew
ers and mlllers SO to so; shoemaker
In factories. 80 to 81.
These, remember, weee skilled worl
ers. There were swarms Of unskillS
hands laborlng from 10 to ~ hours
day for wages that ranged from {
TO 90 cents.
I might go on citing these ngur'
indefinitely. The evidence Is owe
whelmlng. In America we have rise
80 far above such Industrial cond
lions that we cannot compare then
Tha Amorlean workmnn. aa n elias