State of labor in Europe, 1878 : reports from United States Consuls in the several countries of Europe on rates of wages, cost of living to the laborers, past and present rates, present condition of trade, business habits, and systems, amount of paper money in circulation, and its relative value to gold and silver : for the several consular districts, in response to a circular from the Department of State requesting information upon these subjects ; together with a letter from the Secretary of State transmitting these reports to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
- Date:
- 1879
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: State of labor in Europe, 1878 : reports from United States Consuls in the several countries of Europe on rates of wages, cost of living to the laborers, past and present rates, present condition of trade, business habits, and systems, amount of paper money in circulation, and its relative value to gold and silver : for the several consular districts, in response to a circular from the Department of State requesting information upon these subjects ; together with a letter from the Secretary of State transmitting these reports to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.
![There are a number of most important points, cleducible from these re- ports, which should be kept prominently and permanently in sight, in order that the relative conditions of labor in Europe and in the United States may be thoroughly appreciated. Some of these points are as fol- lows: 1. The rates of wages in the United States, roughly estimated, are more than twice those in Belgium; three times those in Denmark, France, and Germany; once and a half those in England and Scotland; and more than three times those in Italy and Spain. 2. The prices of the necessaries of life are lower in the United States than in any of the foregoing countries; that is, the laboring people of Europe cannot purchase the necessaries of life, which are common to the American working people, as low as the same can be purchased in the United States; or, vice versa, if the working people of the United States lived on the same quality of food, or comparatively the same, and exer- cised the same frugality as the working people of Europe, they could live as cheaply as the working people of any country in Europe. 3. That while the present depression of trade in Europe has, un- doubtedly, intensified the sufferings of its working classes, these reports but recite their normal condition ; and while the present depression in the United States will eventually give way to better times, the working people of Europe have no better days to look forward to; as they are born to unremitting toil and scanty fare, so must they toil and mourn to the end, or emigrate. 4. That more misery is caused by strong drink in many countries in Europe than by dull times, and that more misery is caused by strikes than even by strong drink, for the workingmen may reform and recover from drink, but no community of workingmen can ever recover from a long strike. 5. That some of the happiest working people in Europe may be said to be those whose wages are least, while some of the uuhappiest may be classed among those whose wages are the highest. The former results from temperance and frugality, the latter from strong drink and strikes. 6. That the ruling classes of Europe look forward at all times to the destruction of this Republic at the hands of its workingmen; they see their own labor populations kept in order by force, and they cannot con- ceive how the working people of the United States can be a law unto themselves; hence all strikes and riots in this country are hailed in Eu- rope as so many outbursts foreboding the final dissolution of the Repub- lic. The report from the consul at Prague, which will be found in the appendix, giving an account of the feeling which prevailed in Europe in regard to the railroad strikes and riots of 1877, is a good illustration of this important point. 7. That the capitalists of Europe show more sympathy and kindly feel- ing toward their working people than the latter do toward the capitalists, and that all the bitterness and violence are on the side of the working- men. On this point I quote from some of the reports: Bradford, England.—Years ago, and for a long time, there was great reciprocity be- tween the employer and the employe, the former looking after the latter in time of need, and the latter guarding religiously the interests of the former. Unhappily this mutual good feeling has died out in many parts of England. No doubt there is fault on both sides, but I am bound to say, from all I can learn, that the calamity must be laid more to the greed and exactions of the employed than to the selfishness of (he em- ployers.—From the report of Consul Slupard. Neivcastle-upon-Tijne.—The strike of H.OOO miners [against a reduction of 21 per cent, of their wages] lasted eight weeks, and was attended by much suffering and priva- tion. While the coal-owners were stubborn in insisting upon the reduction, they were otherwise moved bv the most generous feelings. None of the strikers were evicted from](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21002447_0041.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
