laborer would not dream of eating. Of course, he
will pay only three or four pence for his; which is,
however, as much as I paid, for I would be earning
six shillings to his two or two and a half. On the
other hand, though, and in return, I would turn out
an amount of work in the course of the day that
would put to shame the amount he turned out. So
there are two sides to it. The man with the high
standard of living will always do more work and
better than the man with the low standard of living.
There is a comparison which sailormen make
between the English and American merchant
services. In an English ship, they say, it is poor
grub, poor pay, and easy work; in an American
ship, good grub, good pay, and hard work. And
this is applicable to the working populations of both
countries. The ocean greyhounds have to pay for
speed and steam, and so does the workman. But if
the workman is not able to pay for it, he will not
have the speed and steam, that is all. The proof
of it is when the English workman comes to
America. He will lay more bricks in New York
than he will in London, still more bricks in St.
Louis, and still more bricks when he gets to San
Francisco.[1] His standard of living has been rising
all the time.

[1] The San Francisco bricklayer receives twenty shillings per day,
and at present is on strike for twenty-four shillings.

[[235]]

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