, 1922-06-17
Foreign Wage Scales

THE WAGES of German skilled labor have
l. shrunk to an average of between $500 and $3.50
per week, computed on a gold exchange basis, is the
startling fact that has been disclosed by the feder-
al tariff commission Comparison with wage scales
existing in 1918 tells how drastic has been the
decline.
The tariff commission selected the twelve larg-
est cities in Germany and compiled from the of
fetal statistical yearbook for the German Empire
of 1915 the wage scales prevailing in 1913 for IL
representative industries. These were tailed with
the scales in the same industries and cities in De
ccmber, 1921, as given in the publication of the
General German Trade Union Federation of March
4, 1922. The findings reduced to American money
at the prevailing rates of exchange for the respec-
tive dates were as follows:
For bakers in 1918 the prevailing scale was $614
per week On DeceInger 81, 1921, 1t was 1852 per
week.
For taiiors in 1913 the scale was SILLY per week.
On December 81, 1921, it was $2.7s per week.
For skilled brewery workers the scale in 1913
was $713 per week. On December 81, 1921, it was
$2.43 per week.
was $3.50 per week. On December 81, 1921, it was
$2.39 per week.
Painters received an average of s14SS per week
in 1918. In 1921 they received $25S.
Stone cutters received an average of $17.4 per
week in 1913. In 1921 they received S256.
Stone masons received an average of $1722 per
week in 1913. They received So per week in 1921.
Bookbinders in 1913 received an average of 5000
a week. In 1921 they received $3.50 a week
Printers in 1913 received an average of $7.1 per
week. In 1921 they received 1914 a week.
Jofners received in 1913 an average of $500 n
week. In 1921 they received $3.50 a week.
Transportation workers in 1913 received an aver
age of $657 a week. In 1921 they received $3.50.
Compare these wages with the wages current in
the United States according to the last report of
the United States department of labor. According
to that report the average weekly wage of all work
ers in all industries today is s24. This is 700 to
LOCO per cent higher than the wages in Germany.
In order then to overcome the difference in wages
between this country and Germany, tariff rates
would have to be 700 to 1000 per cent.
German made goods are cited in nearly all tar
if debates not because there is any desire upon
the part of this country to discriminate against
Germany, but because owing to the efficiency of
the German industrial world and the distributive
and sales agencies of German industries, the com-
petition which Germany offers is very keen. A
protective tariff, however, would operate quite as
effectively as against other nations whose wage
is far below that of the United States.
That Germany is not the only country which has
a tremendous handicap over the United States in
wage costs is demonstrated by the following COM
parison of daily wages paid in the United States
with the average daily wage paid in nations COM
peting industrially with the United States.
These figures are obtained by striking an aver
age for the daily wage paid in six leading typical
industries. The results show the average daily
wage paid in these six industries to be ms follows
in the respective countries: Germany II cents,
Italy 70 cents, Japan S143, France $1.46, England
$3!OS and the United SIT.
There is only one way to protect the American
working man from the competition of the poorly
paid laborer in these other countries. That is by
the enactment of a tariff that will equalize the diff
ference in wages between this country and other
countries.