The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-09-19

ing comparatively few % an intermcdi
ate station. In a brief way | shalt at
tempt to give some idea " the effect O
the country's policy upon these Nv.
great classes, Some ten years sine
the Mexican dollar was worth So cent
gold, and the laborpr or "mnaa" wa
paid from three 20 ave pNals tSfis cent
90 6s's centsl per day according Ia 10
cation and occupation hut with III,
decline In the value VI silver, the dol
lar too has lesScncd In worth until nov
Il brings only Nts cents, With this de
cline IN the value " the money II
which they are paid, have the leborers
wages been iucreascdr mo, senior
they have not" The erect. then, upot
the senior Don" the graudee and own.
or " the great haciendas. must alSc
have been bad, He, too. must have
suffered, Again the answer Is an em'
phattc No! His coffee, ~pinoapples, ba,
nanas, indigo, rubber, chocolate, va.
nilla, beans, Spanish cedar, mahogany,
~dycwoodS, etc, are not FOR home Use or
consumption, but Tor expectation,
These things he produces or buys nom
the small planter on a silver basis,
and sells them Tor gold The peon
wage-earner Il makes poorer; the
wealthy exporter II makes richer.
Think OF Il, YOU workmen under tho
glorious stars and stripes, Here toma-
are seventy cents per can; flour
ST per 100 pounds; an ordinary lamp
chimney 50 cents; Ivory soap 20 cents
per cake; e coffee, 20 cents per
pound, and ordinary brown sugar 10
cents per pound
Another writer-Mr \. w Rutt-who
has made very exhaustive iuvestiga.
into the wages and conditions OF
lie ot the workingman In Mexico.
Nothing which has been promised
by the silver men has come 10 pass
here Wages are lower and living high.
er. The only products which have
'emained az nominally the old figures
ire those which are not grown for ex-
,ort. and which do not come into con-
act with similar products grown In
which have a sound currency.
even coffee, which is one Of the staple
PRODUCTS, has risen TO such u point
Is to practically be beyond the reach
u the peon and the lahorer. while
he only beef ever in reach OF the peon
5 that which is cut from the murdered
after the bull hght.
Butter is $ 20 dear as 10 make Il a
luxury TO all classes. and II is ordered
n restaurants as radishes. lettuce and
.ther dainties are got. Beer. which is
tandard drink here. sells for Is cents
glass, and the only liquor which
5 to be- had by the laboring classes Is
native drink called "pulque," a milk
Ike looking beverage which produces
ONE Of the results OF the malt product
possessing any 81 It's virtues.
imagine a laborer in the United States
nable to put sugar in his coffee. or
still. imagine an American Ia
orer unable TO secure even his cup OF
once,
The clerk In the store who draws
s25 or $50 thinks himself pros
erous. The best walters In the restau-
ants get $40 a month. and ind them
The most expert seamstress
cts only 30 cents a day and must bring
er own dinner II she goes out by the
~. The best cook can command 50
month, but house girls and men SER
get only from 50 to 50 a month.
The spinners. yarners. dyers and 9TH
: employed in the various factories
I from IS TO 30 cent? a day. Rents in
cry part u the republic are very
gh, higher than they are In the Uni
d States. and a respectable house or
ON even half as good az those occu-
ed by u factory hands Is entirely
.yond the reach OF the best paid la
r. There is no exaggeration in this.
,e whole seething mass Of labor live
r the most part In adobe or mud
ada huts. and to all lntents and pur-
sleep on the ground. Furniture
so high that II would take half a
ar's salary to buy a bedstead. ,
In the above the Railway Age has
It attempted TO OFFER any opinions Of
own. We do not pretend to be au-
on Mexico, so we give the
Of those who are authorities. .
d who know what they are talking
'out, In a former issue we published .
1T Of a letter from a locomotive en- =
neer who had left his place In this 4
untry to go 10 Mexico, where ne was y
be paid six dollars per day. The let !
r was an appeal 10 be taken back by {
8 old road even at two dollars a
-" He would rather, he said. earn '
} a month in the United States than z
90 in Mexico, because the $50 would
" more comfort.
he u S. Govt Reports f