NOTES FROM PENNSYLVANIA. Price of a whole hog, 3d per lb; apples per bushel, 5s 3d; barrel of flour, 2001b, 25s; wheat, per bushel of 64lb, 4s 2d; Indian corn, 2s 7d per bushel of 601b; oats, 2s 1d per bushel of 321b; wheat bran, 853 per ton; hay (timothy), 85s per ton delivered.

House rents: House of five rooms adjoining West Chester (lot 28ft by 180ft), 25s per month; seven rooms (small back lot 16ft by 100ft,, £25 per annum; ten rooms (lot 25ft by 150ft), £53 per annum. Such a house would bring about £735 at public sale. Housepainters' wages, 9s a day; carpenters, 11s; bricklayers, 12s; good brick moulders, 6s to 10s; unskilled labourer, 5s a day.

Farms of 100 acres, within two miles of West Chester, let for about £150 to £210, including buildings. Lots of two to five acres let for about 50s to 63s per acre for pasture and farming purposes.

Horses are sold at public sale from 20 to 40 guineas each. Cows with calf at side sell together from 8 to 15 guineas.

Butter, 1s to 1s 8d per lb; poultry, dressed, 6d to 71d per lb.

Anthracite coal, 27s per ton, delivered. Hickory wood, per cwt, for fuel, 218 to 25s, delivered.

Taxes on farmers' valuation about two-thirds of selling price of the property; road tax, 2 mills on the dollar (rather more than 4d in the pound); school tax, 2 mills, or d in the pound; state and county tax, 3 mills, or d in the pound; taxes in the borough, about 10 mills per 100 dollars' valuation (one-tenth of a farthing in the pound).

Bricks at the yard from 25s to 45s per 1000.

An advertising store proprietor offers any of the following articles, warranted to be of good quality, for one shilling:

West Chester is supplied with the Edison electric light in addition to gas. The rates charged per month for private houses for one 10 candle-power lamp, 2s 6d. For five such lamps 8s 4d, and additional lamps 5d each. For commercial purposes, to burn till midnight, one lamp, 10 candle-power, 3s 4d per month. or one of 32 candle-power 103 1d per month. For private houses lamps are not charged in the first instance, but renewals cost 3s 6d. Each connection and fittings are paid for by the user in all cases.

NOTES ON NEW ZEALAND.

The prices of most articles of food except meat are a little dearer in Napier than most other parts of New Zealand, which is said to be from the want of a good harbour; but as a new harbour is now in course of construction this will be remedied in new shops. The price of fat sheep weighing 70lb from 6s to 8s 6d each, of fat cattle from 16s to 18s per 100lb, wheat 38 6d per bushel, oats 2s 6d, flour from £8 to £10 per ton, so that people killing their own meat and baking their own bread can live cheaply. Nelson's Lomrana freezing works here have shipped already this season nearly 10,000 fat sheep. If it had not been for this outlet the price of fat stock would have been far lower. The price of tallow in the London market is now so low, the returns for boiling down is very fine indeed, the expenses being quite as much as when tallow was worth double the money. The experience of the grain-growers is the same. They cannot compete with Indian wheat in the London market, hence that business is not prospering, and large numbers of labourers have been unable to find employment, and large numbers are leaving for Australia. Many are leaving for the new gold fields situated near the Cambridge Gulf in West Australia. This will cause that hitherto almost unknown part of North-West Australia to become settled, and if the country should prove an Eldorado all will be more or less benefited We have had a very dry summer, which has proved most healthy for the stock. Lung-worm amongst the sheep has almost disappeared, and the clip has been exceptionally good. The weather now is everything that could be wished, grass is growing fast, and our winter prospects for feed are good.

NOTES FOR ENGLAND.

The following are the rates of wages paid in the building trade in towns in this part of England, as well as in London in summer. Most of the rates are the same for winter, but some are a little higher during the winter.

It now remains to combine the information sup. plied in the various tables. This has been done by adding together the figures given in the column "weekly expenditure" for each country in order to furnish a table of aggregate weekly expenditure. By multiplying this newly-found figure for England by such a decimal as will bring it to 100, and also by multiplying each of the new figures for aggregate weekly expenditure for the various places by the same figure we shall arrive at a series of aggregate relative prices. If from all these figures we deduct 100, the remaining figures will express in percentages the greater cost of living in any particular country than in England, so far as it can be deter. mined by this method of inquiry.

It will not be forgotten that the figures have not been taken at random or copied from printed or doubtful papers, but are the result of careful inquiry on the spot in every case by competent persons, whose object has not been to write up or down their several countries, but to supply accurate information, and the greatest care has been taken to furnish the prices of identical articles, so far as possible making use of identical samples and patterns. It has been pointed out that the price of a single commodity would be too narrow a basis on which to erect an argument, but that by taking the whole series together any small irregularity dis appears, and, indeed, it is not easy to understand how a more reliable method could be devised. It

may also be conceded that the relative quantities of articles used in a family might in the judgment of some persons be varied to a small extent with advantage; but it would not be possible to re-state the figures with due regard to the proportions usually consumed by persons of the middle class, and materially to modify the results. It may be mentioned that no effort whatever has been made to prove a preconceived theory or to "cook" the figures in the slightest degree; indeed, three out of the four tables which supply the facts were pub. lished before they were digested in table number five.

The general result of the inquiry may be stated in a very few words, and words which can never be forgotten.

ENGLAND IS THE VERY CHEAPEST PLACE

IN ALL THE SERIES, AND SO FAR AS IS

KNOWN, IT IS THE CHEAPEST PLACE IN

THE WHOLE WORLD IN WHICH TO LIVE.

From this table it will be seen that the expenditure of a family would be 7 per cent. greater in Germany than in England, 15 per cent. greater in France, 20 per cent. in Italy, and 25 per cent. in Canada.

But eminently consoling as this fact may be, there The is something still more remarkable to observe. newly-settled countries are those in which high wages may be earned, but they are in every instance the countries in which much more money has to be expended in the necessary outgoings of a family. But England is not only a country for the cheapest commodities, but it is also the country in which the highest wages are paid of any of the old countries. In other language, it is that country in Europe in which most money may be earned by an artisan, and also that in which the least money needs to be

Holland: Income, 58s 4d, being 41 per cent. less. Expenditure, 9 per cent. greater.

Austria: Income 67s 8d, being 31 per cent. less Expenditure, 11 per cent. greater.

Portugal: Income, 44s 2d, being 55 per cent. less. Expenditure, 13 per cent. greater.

France: Income, 89s 10d, being 9 per cent. less. Expenditure, 15 per cent. greater.

Greece: Income, 64s, being 35 per cent. less. penditure, 16 per cent. greater.

Ex

Italy: Income, 60s, being 39 per cent. less. Expeniture, 20 per cent. greater.

It is not to be expected that an old and overpopulated country like England can vie with the virgin soils of Canada, Australia, and the Western States of America; but the disparity is less than might be expected when expenditure is taken into

the account. It is true that the carpenter in P enn sylvania is able to earn 11s per day, and his colleague of the plane and chisel in London obtains the lesser, although substantial, sum of three half-crowns. But as the outgoings in America exceed those in Eng. land by 26 per cent. a considerable portion of the higher rate of wages is counter-balanced.

If it be true that both as regards income and ex. penditure England enjoys a pre-eminent position over all the countries of Europe, it will be well to ascertain to what causes this advantage is due, so as to take care that the blessing consequent on some influence or influences operating favourably in the past be not imperilled by any ill-considered acts, but rather that such influences be fostered, and, it possible, increased. Wilmslow.

ALFRED FRYER.

Notes.

RECOLLECTIONS OF STOCKPORT.

When I first went to work at Mr Higson's mill there was a young man employed there named John Gudgeon. He was born in the year 1809 in a cottage near the mill. I have been told that young Gudgeon's first occupation in this mill was being a tenter for a weaver. He afterwards became a weaver, and followed that occupation some years. From his youth Mr Gudgeon was of a studious disposition; whilst other boys in the neighbourhood were playing in the streets, young Gudgeon would be perfecting himself in his writing and arithmetic, in which he became very expert. In the year 1827, when he was only 18 years old, he was filling the important post of cutlooker at Mr Higson's. This is a very responsible situation, and it speaks much in Mr Gudgeon's favour he having attained such an important post at such an early age. The duties of a cutlooker are very onerous; he has to take the weavers' work in, book it, see that there are the proper number of picks per inch in the cloth, weigh it to see that it is the proper weight, ascertain its length, and look it minutely over to see if there be any flaws in the cloth. It is also the cutlooker's duty to inflict the fines, and their amount, upon the weavers who bring in bad

work. At the week end the cutlooker has to ascer tain the earnings of each weaver for that week, and prepare a list of the same for the cashier. John Gudgeon was born in a house which was about two shillings and sixpence per week rental. His parents were of the poorer class, they had little money to spend on their son's education; his determination, energy, and perseverance, howeyer, overcame all obstacles, and he was said to be one of the best scholars we had on Lancashire hill.

When I went a second time to work at Mr Hig son's mill, in the year 1830, Mr Gudgeon had attained the honourable situation of being the salesman for Mr Higson's firm. His duties now were to go to Liverpool to purchase the cotton required at the mill, and to attend the Manchester market to sell the goods when manufactured. We had two female beam-warpers working in the throstle-room at this time. One was Miss Mary Bentley, sister to two conspicuous members of the Stockport Sunday School orchestra; one the librarian, the other a scribe, who copied most of the music contained in the Stockport Sunday School library. The other beam warper was Mary Lomas. Whether she was a spinster or a widow I never ascertained. One thing, I knew that she had a daughter, near the same age as myself, who was a bobbin-winder, and worked in the same room

as her mother. Mary Lomas was born in the year 1794; at the time I am writing about she would be 37 years of age, and Mr Gudgeon would be 22. Mary Lomas was a tall, g od-looking, cheerful, and matronly sort of a female; and although she was fifteen years Mr Gudgeon's senior, by her good looks and loving ways she fairly captivated the young man's heart. At nights after the mill was lit up Mr Gudgeon often came into the throstle-room to spend the evening until the engine stopped with his lady-love. Ultimately they got married, and I believe they lived happily together.

About the year 1835 the first co-operative movement was instituted in Stock port. This was the banding together of a number of young men to instruct each other in the various branches of knowledge. Mr Gudgeon was one of the first pioneers of this knowledge co-operative society. The old theatre at the bottom of Park-street collapsed as a theatre about the year 1834. It was next rented by a number of musicians, who met there for practice, and gave concerts there periodically for several years. These musicians re-christened the place the Stockport Concert Hall. When this society in turn collapsed the old theatre again became tenantless. It was now that these young aspirants for knowledge engaged it as their meet. ing-place, and rechristened it the Stockport Mechanics' Institution. In the year 1838 we had no suitable place in Stockport where we could go and listen to a lecture on the various sciences, excepting a few Sunday schools, and they were not always comeatable. One of the first things the directors of this new mechanics' institution did was to engage some of the cleverest men in England to come and lecture on various subjects. One of the first engagements was that of Dr. Lardnor. This gentleman was engaged to deliver a lecture weekly for three months. The prices of admission were three shillings the boxes, two shillings the pit, and one shilling the gallery for each person. There were season tickets issued, admitting the bearer t the whole course of lectures. I have forgot the prices of the season tickets for the boxes and pit. I well remember that the price of the gallery tickets for the season was half-aguinea. Three young men, whom I well knew, were very anxious to attend these lectures, but a shilling a week was more than they could command. A commercial traveller was a lodger at the residence of one of these youths. This traveller bought a season ticket for the gallery, and the same week he was laid up sick, and could not leave the house,

William Fisher, one of

which he never did alive. these youths, became the possessor of his ticket, and he made it known to his other two companions that he had got it. The first arrangement come to was that they should attend these lectures alter. nately. This proposition was soon vetoed. In looking at the programme of Dr. Ludnor's lec ures it was seen that one subject (steam) required a number of lectures, and this being a subject in which these youths were all interested, they were each desirous of hearing all the lectures. The two entrances to the building for the public were in Nelson-street. The boxes and pit entranc› was next door to the Garrick's Head public h use T... gallery entrance was a little further up tu street. Between these two entrances stood a lamp post. In the gable end of the building was an aperture in the wall to ventilate the theatre within half a yard of the top of this lamp post. The lamp post, which ought to have been of service to the public, was a great annoyance at times to the officials of the theatre. Many a youth (whom I knew) has climbed the lamp post, and got inside the theatre through this aperture. Mr Neville (an honoured name amongst Thespians), the last lessee of this theatre, became cognizant of these unlawful visits, and he was determined he would stop them. He could not do without the ventilator, and he could not well remove the lamp, so he caused the lamp post to be covered with gas ta which had the desired effect. The aperture was still in the wall and the lamp post was still standing when Dr. Lardnor paid his visit to Stockport. These youths had no desire to climb the lamp post that they might attend Dr. Lardner's lectures. One of them suggested a plan which answered their purpose amazingly well.

The plan adopted was this. The legitimate owner of the ticket (William Fisher) went first, showed his ticket, and gained admittance. When in the gallery he wrapped his ticket in a darkcoloured handkerchief got ready for the purpose; he then put it through the ventilator and let it drop on the footpath below where his companions were waiting to receive it. The same process was gone through until all the three youths had gained admittance. This plan to gain admittance was carried on successfully for several weeks. One night the youth who went into the Mechanics' Institution the first let the ticket drop as soon as he got in the gallery unobserved by his friends below. After waiting near half an hour, the youth who hap gone up with the ticket came out of the institution again, and demanded of his friends the reason they