367

Every  where  we.  found  the  land  well  under  cultivation.  We
saw  no  idle  men  hanging  round  street-corners,  despite  the  fact
that  a  dispute  was  on  in  the  building  trade.  We  were  told  that
everyone  here  has  to  be  at  some  employment.  House  rents  were
cheaper  than  in  Scotland,  and  the  workers  had  better  conditions.
Hours  of  labour  may  be  a  little  longer,  but,  on  the  whole,  the
German  workers  seemed  to  be  well  off.
At  Krupp's  gun  works  in  Essen  we  found  that  about
■jO,000  workers  are  employed,  and  in  their  other  places
about  35,000  men. .  The  workers  in  Essen  have  nothing  to
complain  of.  For  such  a  large  works  there  was  very  little
smoke,  and  the  -streets  were  well  laid  out.  House  rents  were
for  the  workers  employed  at  Krupp's  29  marks  (about  29  shil-
lings) a  month  for  five  apartments  and  there  were  no  further
taxes  to  pay.  There  were  grand  drying  greens  and  iirst-class
washing-houses.  Of  course,  I  visited  the  workmen's  houses,
and  the  wives  and  children  were  very  happy  and  contented.
We  were  not  permitted  to  enter  the  works,  but  work  was  very
brisk,  and  we  found  that  for  4Yd.  the  men  could  get  a  first-class
dinner  in  grand  dining  rooms  in  the  works.  Here  are  some  of
the  wages  paid  :  Smiths,  carpenters  and  fitters,  6s.  per  day  of  10
hours ;  turners  and  skilled  machinemen,  7s.  6d.  per  day ;  un-
skilled labour.  4s,  6d.  per  day.  Sixty  hours  per  week  is  the
time  worked.  When  ill  the  workmen  get  from  3s.  per  day  sick
pay.  and  after  twenty  years'  service  pensions  are  granted  from
()0s.  to  120s.  per  month.
