Re: [DL] Salaries?

["Daniel Gwyn" <dgwyn@colba.net>]

Hi,
    On the whole, I think you are seriously underpaying your posse.  I
remember reading that average wage of someone helping to build a railway was
$1 a day under normal conditions.  Furthermore, I believe the same wage was
paid to ordinary sailors.  Therefore, I would conclude that $1 a day wage
was something like the normal wage for an able bodied, but essentially
unskilled white labourer.  Remembering that this is before unions were
allowed and that women, blacks and asians were paid less, feel free to
extrapolate to particular labour markets.
    In addition, remember that some positions such as Sheriffs or town
marshalls and their deputies were sometimes paid less than a proper salary
as the position might be viewed as either part-time (and therefore they are
expected to have another means of support), or that they got a percentage of
any fines and/or taxes they might be responsible collect.  In Law Dogs (p.
22), John Behan, the Sheriff of Cochise County (i.e. Tombstone) gets 10% of
the taxes he collects which adds up to $30,000-$40,000!  Then again there
are also rewards and bribes to be considered.  Law Dogs also gives salary
ranges for various positions.  Sheriffs $50-250 a month, Town Marshalls
$50-$225 and deputies $40-125 a month depending on the size and wealth of
the town.  They also get $6 a month for ammo and equipement (Law Dogs, pp.
15-16)
          Daniel Gwyn
"The discrepancy between faith and the facts is
greater than is generally assumed."
From "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder

-----Message d'origine-----
De : balance@tubas.net <balance@tubas.net>
À : deadlands@gamerz.net <deadlands@gamerz.net>
Date : February 17, 2002 11:29 AM
Objet : [DL] Salaries?


>Any suggestions on what an average salary range for a Wierd West NPC
>would be? My posse has become involved in governing a small Kansas town,
>and I want to know if the current salaries for their staff are even
>slightly reasonable ($10/month for the clerk and sheriff, $5 for
>deputies & the 'receptionist' they insisted on. )
>
>Are these even resonable, I'm thinking I should retroactively bump them
>up to $10 a week.
>
>I'm handwaving most of the finances, but salary is the least subtle way
>to have the players show who they like.
>
>Of course, the town may be destroyed any time they screw up a session
>badly...
>
>--
>Brett
>
>LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER
>MAN? (Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett)
>
>
>
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