As a vagrant in the "Hobo" of a California jail, I have been served
better food and drink than the London workman receives in his
coffee-houses; while as an American labourer I have eaten a breakfast for
twelvepence such as the British labourer 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.
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