The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-09-26
[coNrtNrrp rnou rrnsr PACE. /

GcoNTlNUED PROM FIRST PACE
Freight brakemen, S35 to $50; sometimes
SIS.
Telegraph operators, $50 to $50.
Railroad station agents, $50 TO $500.
Railroad division superintendents, $3.50.
Trainmasters, Sl75.
Other wages are:
Office clerks, $40 TO 5000 per month.
Stenographers, 800 to $40 per month,
average, $l25.
Travelling representatives, from Sl2o to
5000 and expenses.
Agents, from SIS to $50 per month.
COST OF LIVING IN MEXICO.
As to the cost of living in Mexico, find it
in many respects much cheaper than IN the
United States. The manner of life made
possible and even necessary by the climatic
conditions simpliies the problem. Fuel, for
instance, so considerable an item OF expense
in the North, is an unimportant feature here.
doubt if many families expend so much as
SIS per wear each for their charcoal The
average expense for fuel for the better classes
is about 81. 25 per week The use OF fires for
heating alone is almost unknown. Meats and
fatty foods of whatever kind, heavy woollen
clothing and other items, absolutely indispen-
sable to life and comfort in Northern climates,
are not needed here; on the contrary, they are
even detrimental to health. In general lind
living in the City of Mexico about as reasona-
BILE as at my home in Kansas City. There
are many articles that enter into home CON
sumption that are much higher, especially
those not grown or produced IN Mexico, but
when those are considered the costs average
quite we'll. Servants are much cheaper, and
when good ones are obtained they are as SER
viceable and more cOntented, seldom leaving
the premises and never complaining of the
work. Hotel and boarding house rates are
about the same in Mexican money as they are
in the United States in American coin.
have heard tourists say they could get meals
here as good and cheaper than in cities in the
United States.
Wheat, Sll for $50 pounds; cotton, Is cents
per pound; wool, 81 TO So per arroba OF %
pounds. The cost offoodstutis is given below,
the price, unless otherwise Indicated, being at
the pound rate
Coffee, retail, 40 cents; roasted and ground,
80 cents; Wholesale 10 cents to 81 cents.
Beans, American, . cents; Mexican friioles,
cents.
Corn. 81 to Sl.40 per bushel. 1t is now
high on account of the short crop. and Is
worth ordinarily one cent per pound.
Corn meal, American, II cents.
.Jerked beef, % cents.
Salt fish, As cents.
Salt pork, ~ cents 10 Az GEMS
Ham. American, retail, So cents; wholesale,
AZ cents. Native. retail, % cents: wholesale.
q cents.
Eggs. average, % cents per dozen.
Flour, American, retail, 10 cents. Native,
RETAIL cents.
Wheat, retail, from s1.5O to Sl.so per
bushel.
Butter. American, 60 cents TO IS cents.
Native. unsalted, 50 cents to 50 cents.
Sugar, imported, all classes, % cents Ma
tive. uncut. 8 cents TO 10 cents. Native. cut
or cubed, IA cents.
Molasses, ordinary, native, 81 per gallon.
Syrup, maple, 81 per gallon; dripped, OF all
classes, when imported, So per gallon.
Salt, table. 10 cents; coarse, cents.
Pepper, ground and unground, 10 cents to
80 cents
Tea, 81. 25 to $3.50.
MANUFACTURES AND AGRICULTURE
Mills for the manufacture of cotton and
wooden warns and textiles increase in num-
Der yearly and the capacity of the old ones
has been added TO greatly. Five years ago
the number of factories of this character in
operation was ninety. There are upward of
one hundred and forty of them now, and about
three thousand factories for the manufacture
of sugar and its by-product, brandy. Various
industrial concerns, including paper mills,
Tobacco IatIOTltS, Tue new Sllltlteis LnCAd
mills will reach four thousand in number.
The establishment Of these mills has caused
demand for skilled labor, which is met by for
eigners and by the training of the younger
native element. The coming generation OF
Mexico will show marked improvement on
the old in the matter of skilled labor.
II may be said, further, that there is no
lack of work; those who are idle in this cOun-
try are usually so from choice and not from
necessity. This is true in every condition of
labor. On the windows or doors of more
than fifty establishments in this city are posted
today this notice:
''De solieitan officials, which, being trans
lated, is the familiar "Help wanted.
Thousands of acres of land have been
brought under cultivation, practically re-
claimed from desert by the railways tapping
new sections, and he increase in fruit pro-
duction. as well as other branches of agricult-
ure. makes heavy demands yearly for labor.
In the production of fruit and coffee there
has been great development, and greater
possibilities exist. Last year the orange ex-
port was 400 carloads. A conservative esti-
mate places it this year at 800 cars or more.
The coffee trade five years ago was incOnsid-
cradle; last year the exports of coffee exceeded
So, 900. 900 1t is believed the product will
reach S25, 900, OO0in 1900. The United States
is Mexico's heaviest customer and buys more
largely with each year. In the fiscal year of
1894 the imports from the United States
were Sl4, 351, 1856, and the exports to our
country were $50, $50, 243 In the fiscal year
of ls94-95 the United States sent to Mexico
SIS, 100, 1867 worth of merchandise and bought
S67 ,322, $3.50 worth of Mexican products. The
increase of Mexico's importations from the
United States in the year was less than 81 ,000,-
900; the increase of its sales was more than
e IL he.
first rank in the foreign trade of Mexico, re.
ceiving about 20 per cent. of its exports and
sending about 60 per cent OF its imports. In
twenty years the value of United States goods
shipped to Mexico has increased three times;
in the same period the merchandise shipped
from Mexico to the United States has sextu-
pied in value. THOMAS T. CRITTENDEY.