30 



June 14, 1895, 35,458 persons actively employed in distil- 

 leries. This, of course, represents only those connected with 

 the larger industrial establishments. We have mentioned be- 

 fore the great importance of distilleries to the country popu- 

 lation, as giving employment during the winter months when 

 work is so difficult to secure. The numbers thus engaged for 

 several months of the year cannot be ascertained for they arc- 

 classed in the census as laborers, but it must be large in order 

 to run the 13,000 agricultural stills. We will not consider 

 the thousands who run the brandy stills for a few days or 

 weeks, as they are really fruit gardeners and vine growers. 

 The wages as a rule are very low, few receiving over four 

 marks or one dollar a day, which is taken as the standard and 

 paid by the trade-insurance society in case of injury, though 

 the majority receive much less. In addition to the poor pay 

 the conditions of labor are not good. The hours are very 

 long, many distilleries running night and day during the sea- 

 son. The shortest day is twelve hours under these circum- 

 stances, and in many plants, which are run short-handed for 

 the sake of eco.nomy, the hours are much longer. 



Through the courtesy of the director in Berlin we were al- 

 lowed to examine the books of the Brcnnerei-Berufs-genossen- 

 schaft (distillers' trade insurance society), and thus were 

 enabled to learn the wages paid the men in different parts of 

 the empire in 1900. The following facts are typical of num- 

 erous other establishments. In an agricultural distillery in 

 the province of Posen the common laborers received from 1 

 to 1.50 marks daily, and the chief distillers alone over four 

 marks. In a stock company distillery in Brunswick the com- 

 mon laborers received under 4 marks, and the chief distiller 

 1,500 marks annually. In Xordhausen, the great distillery 

 city of the Hartz, the representative firm of Friederick Degen, 

 Successor paid their common labor all under 4 marks, and only 



3 skilled workmen over 4 marks. In Gruenwinckle, Baden, a 

 large establishment, the Gesellschaft fuer Spiritus and Press- 

 lit 'IV, paid all their common laborers, 141 in number, under 



4 marks, bovs 1.80 marks, and a few skilled laborers over i 



