Dr. Beck is a disciple of Dr. Böhmert; and the purpose of his inquiry is to ascertain not rates but actual annual earnings, with the relative numbers of those receiving each amount. His figures stop short of the further advance in 1898-1900 and the check in 1901-2.1 The graphic presentation of these facts in Chart II. will make it clear to the eye that there was taking place, not only an increase in the total number and so an increase in the number securing higher earnings, but an upward movement of the general body, bringing it about that a larger proportion enjoyed the better conditions. But, with all these men, as soon as they had reached the 1,200 marks limit, only one-third of any further advance they might secure would appear in the insurance statistics. The general figures for the whole empire do not, however, go back beyond 1886. All the more valuable therefore is the single long series given in the Fiscal Bluebook-the average daily wages in Krupp's works all the way back from 1900 to 1853.2 It is not necessary to reprint the column; but it may be worth while to make its meaning distinctly visible to the eye by 1 Beck, Lohn- und Arbeitsverhältnisse in der deutschen Maschinenindustrie (1902), p. 40. 2 Calculated, I suppose, from some such table of averages as is given in the account of the Konsum-Anstalt prepared for the Düsseldorf Exhibition, p. 22. putting it into the form of a chart (Chart III.). A commentary on this chart would be a commentary on much of the industrial history of the empire. It brings out clearly the rapid progress till 1870-71, the effect of the excessive enterprise of the next three years, the rapid decline by 1879 to the 1870 level, and the almost unbroken rise since then, with only a slight retardation now and then, as in 1891-94. The inevitable question as to the purchasing power of these wages will be answered by the table on page 91, which compares the wages with the average annual price of the kinds of food chiefly purchased at the great establishment maintained by the Krupp firm for the sale of provisions, known as the KonsumAnstalt, which also practically governs the range of prices throughout the town of Essen. From this it will be seen that though wages have risen 57 per cent. since 1871, the most general articles of consumption, rye bread, potatoes and bacon, have, the first two, fallen 17 and 31 per cent. respectively, and the latter risen only a trifle (3 per cent. on an average of 1899 and 1900). Beef and veal, which are less consumed, will be seen to have risen 11 and 21 per cent. respectively. The fluctuations from year to year are sufficiently shown in the table. I have been unable to find any figures as to the rent of houses. But it is very well known that the Krupp firm has built some thousands of dwellings of various CHART III. AVERAGE DAILY WAGES IN KRUPP'S WORKS 1853-1900 100 96 92 88 YEAR 1853 6 8 '60 2 4 6 8 '70 2 4 6 8 '80 2 4 6 8 '90 2 4 6 8 1900 |