Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-12
MEXICO FAR FROM A UTOPIA
Report Of the Committee of the Chicago
Labor Council,
NOT A PARADISE FOR THE WoRKlNGnAN
Free Coinage of silver In the Mintsp
but Miserable ray and Pitifu'
Conditions of Life Among
the Poems. .

the Poems.
CHICAGO, Oct. 1.-THE committee sent
to Mexico by the Chicago Trades and Labor
assembly to investigate the condition OF la
Dor the cost of living, and the wages paid
TO workingmen in that country, has made
its report. The committee consisted of l..
]. Mas and Patrick Enright. They have
been absent about two months, and their
investigations were made with great care.
and, of course, without any party bias The
information they have compiled and tho
conclusions they have arrived at are a suf-
hcient reply to the object lesson sought to
be gained from the condition Of the labor
ing classes in Mexico by the advocates of
free coinage of silver in this country. The
report follows:
CHICAGo, III, oct. 10, 1S9d,--To the, ON
GERS and Members of the Chicago Trade
and Labor Assembly; Ladies and Gentle
men-We, your committee. sent to Mexico
to investigate the condition of the iaboring
| ing as the result of our observations and In
1t was painfully evident to us that the
toiiors of Mexico from the time of the Span
ish invasion to the present have had no
| tions In the comforts and necessities OF
life they are down TO the minimum, and In
no time III history CONlU tnelr condition huNG
been more deplorable, or the race would be
The principal inducement offered capital
TO invest I'm Mexico Is the cleap native labor
to be found and no danger of strikes and its
consequent evils to the investor. This is
soliciting investments Tor FOR MeXico. which
statements we have CLEANED from native
newspapers and literature sent broadcast
to the world. To this We respectfully call
the attention of tn American workngmen,
as II gives a true status OF the condition OF
where, In that country the only thing that
me toiler has 10 oner TO matntan his eN-
| modify in the country. To take advantage
of this the foreigner Is invited to enter and
take and with unbr.dlcd sway, enrich him
self on the genera! misery Of the toers.
For labor creates all wealth. and the creator
universe If possible. would be dethroned to
subserve the interests of man in his greed
among the civilized nations Is this fact so
manifestly true as in the United States or
NO DIGNITY OF LABOR THERE.
The Carpenter Of Nazareth dienlned labor.
He proclaimed 1t honorable for all TO eat
bread by the sweat of the brow. But the
naughty and indolent Castilian and his hy-
brid progeny of Mexico have perverted the
noble words of Him who was ever the friend
the raiment of toll is to wear the garb OF
servillty. There class distinction is carried
to Il degree parallel to the castles of India.
There the native toiler believes that he IL
born TO 1--we and uIc a Veritable beast OF
IlIutls anu seemingly Il tOnltnttd win MS
lot But that contentment 40 much harped
on by certain writer's, Is the contentment
akin to the burro-whch manifestng
neither jor nor sorrow. nerforms It's task
with the impassive Indifference Of an au-
The first stop made by your committee was
at I1l Paso, Tex, where we investigated tho
wages paid and the conditions of the Amer
an imaginary line 0he Rio Grande river be-
ing, dry over the only international street
railway in the world to the city of Juarez,
formerly called Paso del Norte and but two
miles distant from III paso. AT this place
assuming a Mexican air-and the reai duties
of our mission began. We took observa-
lions lions OF the people as as to their appearance.
paid and prices of commodities. and wero
surprised at the contrast as compared with
saw the cotton clothing and sandals as worn
by the peon. The clothing on many of these
n manner sufficient to show their bronzed
skin as the sandals showed their feet.
The two peoples, as to their habits, tastes,
customs and modes of life, are such that n
comparison Is unnatural: Life Is regarded
from very different standpoints, as they live
under different conditions, inasmuch as the
Mexican laborer is apparently content with
adobe hut, with nothing inside but the
ground to sleep on, q shawl or blanket to
cover or wrap himself up in, dish of tor
TILES (corn pancakcs), and frejoes (beans)
for his frugal meal and in large number
of cases q little pig. a dog and chicken or
two of the game cock order, sharing his
scant quarters while the American laborer
across the line has all the comforts of home
and many of the luXuries of life
Mexico, with all it's boasted natural re-
sources, charming climate. picturesque
scenery, traditions. prehistoric ruins, lis
and interesting. to the traveller but the
TO Slloa, a distance of nearly 1000 miles
(asde from its many and high mountains,
which no doubt contain rich deposits of
nothing but rocks. sage brush and cactus
to to meet the eye and presents anything but
could cke out an existence. and nothing to
bear out the moss-covered chestnut that
and thrive, there Excepting In the towns
along the lines of the railroads not a bird
Srro or animal NV was as seen aha a. ne iew poems ana ma
picture of misery and detection.
MEXICAN LABOR BADLY PAID.
Wages in Mexico, except to skilled and
very low on railroads engineers (Ameri-
cans) on passenger trains receive S21O per
Sl.s5 per day; freight engineers Amcrican)
$3.50 per month; drcmen (MeXicam $3.50 to
lcans) $3.50 per month. brakemen Mexican)
$40 per day; freight conductors (Ameri-
Sj7 to $6S per month; Pullman conductors $50
per month (Amcrlcan money!, and the portor
per month extra for being able 10 10 tank Span
ish. The national soldiers Tor regular army
of Mexico called rHrales, and who are an
factory near the depot at Jmcnez. the men
are paid 80 cents, women and children % to
BIZ cents per day. In the cotton mills, cot
tcnsced of mills and soap factory at Tor
IeOn men are paid 37ia to 30 cents, women
ana children 25 cents per day. A carcador
(publc carrier has rate of l2ia cents per
hour. but you can hire him from 25 to 37A
cents per day.
At Leon, where nearly all the leather
goods in Mexico are manufactured, the
peon gets his leather cut for Shoes harness
or other goods TO be made by him and
takes the material 10 his hut, where the
whole family assists him, the same as In
the sweat shops of ChcaEo. For making
shoes he receives 81 and upward per dozen
pairs; on other leather goods he receives
37h to 30 cents per day for his labors. work.
Ing as long as daylight lasts. averaging
twelve to fourteen hours per day. Common
laborcrs can be hired for 1s to 30 cents per
day, House servants. male or female, re-
ceive 50 to 81 per month and board them
selves In or near cities poems live In
adobe houses and pay a rental OF 81 n year
for the ground that the house stands on.
when leaving this for another location all
improvements" the peon has made 20 to
tho landlord o. owner Of the land, who
pays 10 taxes whntcger on the land. Build
ing lots in cltIrs--50Si2i foct cost S25 per
foot front and up, or a smaller patch of
ground vera thrco feet square, at the
rate OF $50 o 500 per vrrra.
NaG ii