STRIKING FACTS ABOUT STRIKING THINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 2 January 1904, Page 1 (Supplement)

STRIKING FACTS ABOUT STRIKING THINGS.

by LEONARD YGUATT, M . 8 .. m

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WAGES IN GREAT BRITAIN, AMERICA AND ELSEWHERE. The following comparison only attempts to deal with wages in the ordinary acceptation of the —the money received in payment for labour. • It is, however, evident, that to examine thoroughly the rewards of labour in different countries and to compare them, many other factors, such as cost of living, would call for consideration. For, as Adam Smith says ("Wealth of Nations," Bk. 1., Chap. V.) "the real wages of labour may be said to consist of the quantity of the necessaries and conveniences of life that are given for it; its nominal wages in the quantity of money. The labourer is rich or poor, is well or ill rewarded, in proportion to real, not the nominal, wages of his labour." A comparison of "real" wages would be an extremely difficult if not an impossible task. The best practicable substitute consists of an account of money wages, with the reservation that the "real" wages may be either greater or less' than the "money" wages —greater where the cost of living is low, less where this is high. Even with reference to money wages it is impossible to give as exact a comparison, when dealing with large classes in different countries, as when dealing with smaller classes or with individuals in the same country. I shall endeavour to present a fairly correct picture of the conditions which prevail, by first giving an estimate of the general average of wages in the three countries in which the conditions are most interesting, viz., America, England, and Germany, and then by giving in more detail particulars of wages in special branches of industry in several countries. - WAGES IN AMERICA. Let us take America first. An official estimate, (The Wage Census) gives 484 dollars per year (38/9 per week) as the general average of wages for the whole of the States. In the slave States, where the competition of cheap black labour is felt, the average runs from 211 to 395 dollars per year (16/11 to 31/6 per week). In the States around New York the general average is 493 dollars per year (39/6) per week. I have made an estimate from the returns relating to 255,000 workers in the State of Massachusetts (published by the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of, Labour) and obtain an average of 43/6 per week or a little more than the average above given. Ido not know, of any official general average for this ocuntry but Mr Charles Booth gives particulars of the wages of 75,000 workers in various trades in London, and their average is approximately 31/9 per week. In Germany particulars are recorded as to the wages of 10,000 employees in various trades in Baden, and here the average is 19/7 per week. Broad averages such as these are of course liable to certain errors, but probably they are sufficiently accurate to give a fairly correct impression of the general level of money wages in the three countries. A clearer view of the state of wages in the three countries is given by the figures exhibited in the following diagram.

C ER M A MS The employees have been divided into classes according to the amount of their wages; those receiving under 20/ per week forming one class, from 20/ to 25/ the next class, and so on. The vertical height of each column represents the number in each class out of a hundred workpeople. In England it will be observed there is a very large group in the classes ranging from 20/ to 35/ per week, and the numbers fall off rapidly above and below these limits. Almost half the workers are in the two classes which earn from 25/ t0.35/ per week. In America there is much more variety in the incidence of wages, and the population is much more evenly divided among the various classes. It is interesting to note that the proportion earning less than 20/ a week is nearly twice as large as it is in this country. At the other extreme the figures are more favourable to America, as the number of people there who earn more than 45/ per week is five times as great as it is here. LOW JiATE OF WAGES IN GERMANY. The diagram does not throw a very favourable light on the state of wages in Germany. More than half the wage earners appear to receive less than 20/ a week, while the number of those receiving more than 30/ a week is only 7

per cent., and does not admit easily of: a further division into classes. Indeed, in order to get a complete picture of German wages, it is necessary to subdivide further the group of wage earners receiving less than 20/ •' a week. When this is done it is found that 12 per cent, receive less than 12/ a week, 14 per cent, receive from 12/ to 15/ a week, and 20 per cent, receive from 15/ to IS/ a week. The following diagrams show the numbers in each country receiving above and below 20/, and those receiving aboveiand below SO/ a week. ..a-.*. GERfH&n^

VttD£.R2Cf. CVBR 2(jfi The most important industry in every country is agriculture, and on the whole it is one of the worst paid. The following figures give an idea of the rate of pay given to agricultural labourers in various parts of the world. In England the general average of wages pi ordinary agricultural labourers is 17/ a week without board. There are considerable variations in different parts of the country, the rate being highest as a rule in the neighbourhood of coal mines and in other industrial centres.

On the continent the wages of agricultural labourers are much lower than the rates given above; for instance, in France the average is 12/ a week, Denmark, 9/ to 10/, Belgium 9/6, and in Hungary only 6/3. On the other hand, in tne colonies the average rates are higher than either in this country or in the States. For instance, in Canada the general average is 21/, while this is exceeded in Manitoba and British Colum-< bia. In the older colonies of Australia • the average runs from 10/ to 20/ a week with board, jnd in' Western Australia' reaches 50/ a week, but this does; not include board. 1 The mining industries show very con siderable variations., ,In coal mines the \ following' are 1 average' .'wages: • v £ Austria .■.-,.,.,...... 10/0 to 14/0 per week. Belgium _...,.... 15/6 to 21/0 per week* France _ ~'....... 16/8 to 25/0 per week, Prussia ~~-~~~ J. 18/6 to 24/0 per week« In each of these cases the lower figure refers to the wages of "putters"; and "trammers," while the higher one refers to those actually working at cutting the coal. In Belgium the miner's day is 121 hours. In England the general average rate of wages in coal and iron mines is 36/S per week, but of course there are wide variations above and below; this . figure. WAGES COMPARED. The metal trades produce high' rates ■ of wages in America, and to a less extent in this country, but on the continent wages are very low. Foundry work and pattern-making form two fairly typical branches of these trades, and the follow-* ing wages are obtained in the countries named:, Pounders. ' Pattern Makers* I England _• Sid per 'hour. Bid per. hour* Austria -... 3Jd per hour. . 4Jd per home* Belgium —• 5d per ihour. . ' 4id per noun* France ... 2id per Ihour. 6d per hour* Germany.. — per hour. sid per hour* U.S.A. .... Kid per hour. laid per hour.. Somewhat similar rates are found in the building trades. For example, " bricklayers' wages are as follows: Belgium, 3d per hour; Denmark, 6d; Holland, 3*d; U.S.A., 13id to 20d; . England, 8d to 10id. Carpenters receive th» following wages: Belgium, 3d •to 3Jd per hour; Denmark, s*d to 7Jd; 4d; Germany, 6d; Holland, 3£d; U.S.A., 16$ d; England, 8d to 10|d. f These examples are sufficient to show to some extent how money wages vary in England and America and on the Continent. In order to obtain a complete picture it would be necessary to find out the cost of'living in. each country, and to estimate the surplus left out of the wages when the ordinary expenses of life had been provided for. This it is impossible to do with any degree of accuracy, an*} we have to be content with the generally accepted conclusion, . that in the United States the cost of living Is considerably higher than in England, especially as it affects clothing, coal and rent; while in Continental countries it is probably not much lower.

Nest Week: 'THE OVERCROWDING PROBLEM.*