THE PROGRESS OF THE WORKING-CLASSES. 2; 



Thus, in all cases where I have found it possible from the apparent 

 similarity of the work to make a comparison, there is an enormous 

 apparent rise in money wages, ranging from 20, and in most cases 

 from 50 to 100 per cent, and in one or two instances more than 100 

 per cent.* This understates, I believe, the real extent of the change. 

 Thus, builders' wages are given at the earlier date as so much weekly, 

 whereas in the later returns a distinction is made between summer and 

 winter wages, the hours of labor being less in winter, and as the wages 

 are so much per hour, the week's wages being also less, so that it has 

 been possible to strike a mean for the later period, while it does not 

 appear that anything more is meant at the early period than the usual 

 weekly wage, which would be the summer wage. Without making this 

 l^oint, however, it is obvious that in all cases there is a very great rise. 



Before passing from this point, there is another and continuous 

 official record I would refer to. Unfortunately, it does not go back 

 for much more than thirty years. Still, as far as it goes, the evidence 

 is in the same direction. I refer to the return of merchant-seamen's 

 wages annually issued by the Board of Trade, in what is known as 

 the " Progress of Merchant Shipping Return." From this return may 

 be derived the following comparison of seamen's wages : 



Comparison of Seamen's Money Wages per Month at 1850 and the 



Present Time. 

 [From the " Progress of Merchant Shipping Eetum."] 



Here, again, there is an enormous rise in money wages. This 

 return is specially subject to the observation that money wages are 

 only part of the wages of seamen, but I assume it is not open to dis- 

 pute that, with the improvement in our shipping, there has been an 

 improvement in the food and lodging of the sailor, quite equal to the 

 improvement in his money wage. 



This question of seamen's wages, however, well illustrates the diffi- 

 culty of the whole subject. Ships are not now navigated by able sea- 



* The mean of the percentages of increase is over 70. 



