Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-12-16
New Series Vol. 20. No. At.

The average earnings of a coolie are
is cents day, or $3.50 per month. The
wages, however, of this kind of labor
very considerably, dropping in some To-
calities to cents day, but seldom or
never rising above so cents. While the
farm laborer, moreover, who engages
for year is provided with food and
shelter, the coolie, out of his miserable
pittance, must board and lodge himself,
his ordinary outlay for these purposes
(S4l leaving him, if he gets the average
wages, a net monthly income of 80 cents.
1t would seem that Chinese miners
have learned to bring the necessaries of
life equally near starvation point. AL
though coal is mined in China entirely
by hand, it can be sold with profit at 81
per ton at the pits mouth. The gold
diggers on the Han River, according to
Baron Richthofen, are content to earn
from 5 to Is cents a day by gravel
washing. The last named fact explains
how the abandoned placer diggings of
California can be turned to account by
the Chinese emigrants. We may here
note that the control exercised by Chi
nese companies in San Francisco over
the imported coolies is simply the repro
duction of system which prevails
widely in the Middle Kingdom. 1t ap-
pears that most Of the eoolie labor in
China is organized and held under
sort of peonage. By advances to the la
bOrer while he is out of employment, his
capacity of work is almost constantly
mortgaged to the hongs or companies,
who farm him out to the employer. In
this way the scanty gains of the coolies
are still further docked by the profits of
the middlemen.
Now, as to the expenses of subsist
ence, we have seen that the nOurishment
of a farmers whole household costs but
20 cents day, while strong and active
stevedOre or porter can rely on no more
than II cents day for the food and
lodging of himself and his infant chill
dren. The ordinary daily fare in the
southern and central provinces is rice,
and in the northern provinces bread
made out of wheat flour and millet.
This and some salted vegetables and IL
weak decOctiOn of the cOmmonest tea
compose the bill of fare. 1t is only on
occasions of festival that little pork, a
fowl, fish, or some salted eggs, and a
cup or two of samShee (wine) are allow
ed to figure on the, board. The Chinese
farmer lives, for the most part, in cab
in built of mud and reeds or bambOos,
the roof being made of straw or reeds,
seldom of tiles. A master craftsman
lives in his workshop, where he has,
perhaps, two rooms besides a place to
cook in. Tie value of his household fur
niture is estimated at from $40 to $50.
A journeyman mechanic, if married,
will share small house with friend,
each occupying one room, and using the
kitchen in common. If unmarried, he
sleeps at his employers for a considera-
tion, or stays with friend. In either
consists of his bedding and box con-
tanning clothes. In the rural districts,
lodging, such as it is, can be obtained for
about cents month; and it is ealcu-
lated that about 81 a year will keep the
wardrobe of farm hand or cOOlie in
state adequate to his scanty wants. A
workman belonging to these last named
categories may, in prosperous times, by
practising rigorous frugality, save
from SO to 81. Nothing, of course, can
be saved if he is an opium smoker; in
deed, this vice can only be INDUCED by
the mass of the population at the ex-
pense of nourishment. The motives
which impel Chinaman to the practice
of economy under these conditions are
the desire of marrying, of performing his
duties to the spirit of his ancestors, or
meeting the wedding expenses of at
least one of his children, and lastly, of
providing for the cost of His own funer-
al. Having attained these ends. and
having been, meanwhile, sheltered and
fed after the fashion We have described,
a Chinese workman feels that he has
gained all that can be expected from
existence.
These facts speak for themselves.
They explain the irresistible impulse of
the Chinese workmen to emigration.
They explain the desperate resistance
which his advent provokes among the
laborers of other countries. To Ameri-
cans, Chinese wages would mean, if not
prompt starvation, at all events living
death.-[N. Y. Sun.