48 



WAGES AND EMPIRE 



But though their wages are more than those of labourers, 

 yet the scale on which they are paid seems to be exactly 

 proportioned to the amount of living which the common 

 labourers earn. This can be seen in Table No. XI. 



Table No. XI 



Table showing the wages (in 1913) for agricultural 

 and town labour in Europe and overseas. 



Agricul- Trans- 

 tural I port 

 Labour. Workers. 



Textile 

 Workers. 



Building I E°?|f- 

 Trades. L^I'^J, 



Shillings per Week. 



Europe — 

 Germany . 

 France 

 United Kingdom 



United States 

 Canada 

 Australia 

 New Zealand 



15 

 16 



18 



36 

 36 

 36 

 36 



30 

 32 

 40 



60 

 60 



65 



60 



This table shows that both in Europe and in the New 

 Worlds the wages of skilled trades are higher than those 

 of agricultural labour by from 50 to 100 per cent. In 

 each case it is agricultural labour apparently that sets 

 the unit whence the wages of other labour are calculated, 

 since in Europe with low wages on the land wages in 

 the manufactures are low, while in the New Worlds with 

 high agricultural wages those of manufacture are high. 

 It is certain that the higher wages of skilled labour 

 overseas is not due to any superiority on their part over 

 European skilled labour, since the skilled workers in the 

 New Worlds are all derived from Europe and can be no 

 better than the stock whence they come ; their high 

 wages therefore are not due to any greater capacity on 

 their part. 



