Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-01-07

81 a year does fairly WE'LL but the
majority, live from hand to mouth,
and their whole life is but a hard
struggle to fight the hungry wolf
from the door.
CooLY LABOR.
Herein are comprised the carriers,
boatmen, the wheelbarrow men, NC.
Taking the rates ruling at the great
commercial centers of this empire
the grand average of Il man $ earn
ing is about $50 cash, OF Is cents a
day which is equal to 81 so per
month. But it varies so consider
ably, according to supplies and de-
mand in different localities that the
minimum is as low as cents day,
while the maximum is as high as 80
cents without food orlodgine. Much
also depends upon the physical
strength of the men, the endurance
and strength of some being actually
marvellous. Take, for instance, the
tea carriers in the mountainous parts
of Western China. They carry on
their backs a load of from 800 to 400
pounds weight, across difficult
mountain passes, and travel with it
twenty consecutive days. They are
considered we'll paid at 25 cents a
day. An ordinary cooly's monthly
account would stand about thus:
Receiptsin wages ........ ......$4 so
Expenditures for food ....... So 90
Expenditures for lodging.... so
Incidental expenses, ........... so
Net income. ................ so
Coal is mined in parts of China
entirely by hand. and to say that it
can be sold at 81 per ton at the pits
mouth, with profit to the owner of
the mine, is a striking illustration
of the cheapness of human labor in
this ecu ntry. Most of the cody la
Dor in China is controlled by certain
houses as companies. Strong and
reliable coolies are, if possible, kept
indebted to them by advancing to
the coolies money while they are out
of employment; hence, this labor is
nearly always under mortgage to
the hong house,, aud in this way
there exists q good deal of Glow or
forced labor. But the principal Sc
cret of success of those companies
which sublet cody laborers seems to
be their holding themselves respon-
sible to the employer for the cooly's
actions. They undertake to make
good any damage, whether arising
from dishonesty or carelessness.
They prosper while the coolies al
most starve. In all the foregoing
estimates of the cost of the laborer' 8
living no allowance is made for the
expenses which the great prevalence
of opium smoking entails. Although
such habits predominant among the
higher classes of cities, yet no incon-
siderable percentage of the coolies
and country people is addicted to
them. Consequently, in many in
stances where there would seem to
be probability of surplus earning,
there is actually none. The main
motive of practiclng economy with
every Chinaman is, firstly, to be able
to take wife; secondly, to perform
bis duties to the names of his ances-
tors; and, thirdly, to defray the ex-
penses of his own funeral. Indeed,
wedding and funeral expenses seem
to be the heaviest items of expendi-
ture with these people, as they range
from fifty to several hundreds of dol
lars.
CHINESE AND AMERICAN LABOR.
With the class of cheap labor of
which have been speaking. this en-
pire can supply the world. Is it
strange, then, under such circum-
staLces, that the mind of q neces-
sarily more expensive laborer, with
entireiy y different hopes and aims in
life, should become alarmed at the
prospect OF stubborn competition
with it? China stands to-day where
she has stood for thousands OF years,
firmly welded to Joss and her idols,
looking backwards, venorating the
paths trod by her ancestors, and
with 10 interest in any civilization
but her own. On the contrary,
there has been laid broad and deep
upon the American continent the
foundation of a society which Sc
cures .he greatest good to the great
est number, and whose motto is
" Onward and upward" There will
be realized the full strength and
highest culture of the human intel
lect, and there will be witnessed the
grand triumph of civil and religious
liberty. The down-trodden and op-
pressed of other lands who hope for
the attainment Of those ends have
been invited to come and lend a
hand INIT uoua ntharS And since