English And American Family Budgets

The report of the Bureau oí Labor Státistics of Missouri for the yeáí ending November 5, 1890, is full of valuable information, particularly for workingmen. The most .striking feature of the report is Lts exhibita of Eamily budgets. Commissioner Lee Mériwether, of fhe bureau, set bis agente al work to inqvtíre carefülly into the earnings, expenses and manner of lite of the working poopleof St. Louis, Kansas City and Crystal City. Tlie agents secureá carefully kept accounts of the incomes and expense of 438 families, embracing many trades and classes of workers. These family budgets show almost without exception evidence of abundant comforts among the industrial population. While glabcing over the items of expense of these American workjng pcople - so rnuch for books and newspapers, so much for amusements and the like - our thoughts involuntarily turned to the similar inve stigation made a few years ago by the United States Consuls among the laboring classes of Europe. No more wholesome lesson can be kept before our wage earners than the incompar" ble Biiperiority of their material condition as compared with the toilers of other lands. In order that this great differenee may been seen at a glance, we give below a specimen family budget from the Missouri report, andunder it a similar budget compiled from Consul Webster's report from Sheffield, Eugland. In each report other cases could be found making a better showing, as might also worse exhibits be produced. Both were selected with a view ti) fairly represent the average condition of similar grades : IX AMERICA. Budget of a St. Louis famili. Con'ditiox - Family of five - parents, son aged 10 years, two daughters aged 9 and 4 years. Occupy their own house. Paid $200 incumbrance on house. IN ENGLAXD. Sheffield (England) Family Budget. CoNomoM - Family of 5 - wife and three children. Man not the best paid, nor by any! means the worst, earniui; $6.07 a week. ■AXHISO8. Husband $ 315 64 Total $315.64 Cost of Living. Rent, including taxes & water supply $ 50 44 Fueland light 18.72 Clothing and boots and shoes... 44.20 School pence 6 24 Trade society 12.48 Frlendly society 6.24 Tobacco 6.24 Expenses other than food... $ 144.56 Grocenes- sugar, tea, coffee, &c 31.20 Butcher's meat 50 44 Potatoes and other vegetables.. 18 72 Bread 50.44 Beer ik -- Cost of food 169 52 Total income $315.64 Total expense 314.08 Surplus % 156 Here ia an object lesson which the American workingman should paste in his hat, to serve as an antidote to the Tariff "reformer's" noxious teachings. When the "reforiner" tells liim that his higher wages do not amount to any more than the lower wages of the English workingman, on account of the higher cost of living in this country, the American workingman can show the "reformer" the following table, from an official report by Consul Lane, of Tuntstall, England : Comparison of Food in England and in the United States. Balance in favor of U. S., $0.73. The workinginan can also point out to the "reformer" thatthe St. Louis workinginan spent to witliin 19 cents as much for this cheap American food as the Knglish workingman's whole income amounted to and had $524.55 left. J la.l the Englishman lived as well, his expense for food alone would have broaght hini sadly hito debt, without a single cent left for clothes, house rent, fuel, lights, or for the thousand and one little expenses regarded as indispensable in the humblest American family. At aboot this point in the argument the "reformer" will sneak away to search for sorne one less well informed about the actual conditionof workingmen ander the Tariif systfm whioh he hopes t" lj 'l adopted n thia country, DUt knowá thai Fié can oever succeed unless by the votes of the workingmen themselves.