XXXIV 
In regard to all standard rates of weekly earnings given in this Report it 
must be remembered that the earnings of the workmen are subject to this 
compulsory deduction. 
(v.) Relation of Rates of Wages to Rents and Prices. 
The following Table shows for each of the geographical groups the mean 
index numbers for rents and prices, and for rents and prices combined, together 
with the mean index numbers for the weekly rates of wages for skilled men in 
the building, engineering, and printing trades. 
Geographical Group. 
Number 
of 
Towns. 
Mean Index Numbers. 
Rent and Prices. 
Rent. 
Prices. 
Rent and 
Prices 
combined.* 
Wages (Skilled Men). 
Build 
ing. 
Berlin 
Central Germany 
Rhineland Westphalia :— 
(а) Textile Towns 
(б) Hardware Towns 
South Germany 
Saxony 
Silesia 
Baltic Ports 
North Sea Ports 
100 
35 
55 
61 
65 
47 
52 
52 
59 
100 
99 
104 
100 
107 
102 
91 
99 
101 
100 
86 
94 
93 
99 
91 
83 
89 
93 
100 
83 
82 
84 
77 
80 
71 
78 
96 
Engineer 
ing. 
Printing. 
100 
86 
92f 
93 
81 
79f 
95f 
69f 
88 
100 
85 
88 
89 
88 
91 
88 
89 
96 
* In the construction of this index number prices have been given a weight of four 
and rent a weight of one. 
t In these cases the number of towns included is less than the number in the 
geographical group. 
From this Table it does not appear possible to draw any conclusions as to 
the extent to which wages vary from one district to another with variations in 
that part of the cost of living which is represented by expenditure on food and 
housing accommodation. The available data are hardly sufficient for the deter 
mination of the problem ; but the above Table does not seem to indicate any 
immediate relation between the level of rent and prices on the one hand and 
of wages on the other. 
If the mean of the wages index numbers for the three trades (building, 
engineering, and printing) be taken in each group, and the results combined 
with the index numbers for rents and prices combined, an approximate com 
parison of the average level of " real ” wages may be made, i.e., of the money 
wages expressed in terms of their purchasing capacity (as shown by the index 
numbers of rent and. prices combined) rpk ~ — * —^ " 
Table :— 
The results are set out in the following 
Geographical Group. 
Number of 
Towns. 
Mean Index Numbers. 
Rent and 
Prices 
combined. 
Berlin 
Central Germany 
Rhineland Westphalia :— 
(a) Textile Towns 
(b) Hardware Towns 
South Germany 
Saxony 
Silesia 
Baltic Ports ... 
North Sea Ports 
100 
86 
94 
93 
99 
91 
83 
89 
93 
Wages of Skilled 
Men in Building, 
Engineering, and 
Printing Trades. 
100 
85 
87 
89 
82 
83 
85 
79 
93 
Approximate 
relative level 
of “ Real 
Wages.” 
100 
99 
93 
96 
83 
91 
102 
89 
100