The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-16
Low WAGES In MEXICO.
LIBOR COUUfTTEE or CHJCIGO
SJBMIIS MS REPORT.
PitiabIe Condition OF P.ons-Party roii-
tics and Machinery May Work De-
triment to the People.

triment to the People.
CHICAGO. October 1.-THE Committee
or tht Trade ana Labor Assembly sent 10
Mexico yy that Organization, TO ln'esll-
-t-tc tue condition OF the iaLOrlrS Glasses
oil mat country, has returned 10 Cnica-
30 ana submitted It's report at the met
lag OK the assembly Inc report Was
accepted by an almost unanimous Vote,
only TWO members speaking IN oppo1l-
,.0n 10 IL.
mo delegates claimed in submitting
tntu report ;hat they carried out their
mission IN an unbiased and non-paf -san
manner, and uey simply pictured the
low state OF the wOrkins Glasses as II
VAS without reference 70 political ques-
uOns. There were many CALCULATIONS "
a-tOnisnn enJ AT the pitiable pictures pre-
sen,ed, and the motion TO ADOPT the re-
port called forth but little debate.
COMPLETE HANGE - MEXICO.
The report Of the committee Is IN part
as follows;
The nrst stop made by your committee
was AZ I'll PdsO, Tex, where We invesu-
gated the wages paid and the conditions
OK the American labOsers. From mat
point VIC crossed TO the city OF Juarez,
but two milea from III PasO. AT TINS
place complete change met the eye.
Everything ASSUMED a MeXi IAN air, and
We realized tat the time had arrived
when the real duties OF our mission be-
gan. We took observations OF the peO-
pie as 10 their appearance, mode Oh nv
inf, social conditions, wages paid, ANA
prices OF commodities. and were suIprls-
81 at the contrast as compared WIN con-
ditio'is etc, in III Paso.
. he two peoples. ass 20 their habits,
tai ties, customs. and modes OF me- are
such that a comparison Is unnatural.
life f. regarded from very different
conditions. ina-much as the Mexican Ia
bOrer is apparently content with the -FOUR
bare walls Of his ten-foOt square adobe
hut with nothing inside but the ground
10 sleep on. "a shawl ~ blanket 20 cover
or wrap himself up IN. "a dish or tortlleH
6cCrn pancakes. and freiOlcs tbcansl Tor
his frugal meal. ard in "a large number
OF cases a little pig, dog. ana a chicK-
en or two Of the game COCK order, SHARING
his scaut quarters, while the American
labOrer across the line has an the com
forts Of home and many OK the Injuries
OF life.
WAGES PAID VARIOUS LABOR.
Wages IN Mexico. except 10 skilled ana
steady mcchauiCs-alWay fOrclgucfs-aft
very low. On railroads engineers 'Amerl-
cau1 on passenger trains receive $40
per month while the firemcn iAeNicansl
receive SIS per day; freight engineers
(AmericansJ 500 per month, hremen
CMexlcanJ $50 70 $40 per day; passen-
ger conductors (Amcricans). $50 per
month. brakewen (MeXicans), SI.D per
day: freight conductors americans. 500
per month: brakemen (MaXicansl. 81 70
sc3 per month. Pullman conductors, 81
per month american money! and the
pOrters, s3s per month (American money
with 3 per monlh extra for being able 10
talk Spanish. 2 he national soldiers COR
regular army. OF Mexico. called rurales.
and who are all ex-bandits, receive 81
per day. In q broom factory near me
depot AZ Jiminez tho men are PAID ~ cents
and women and children - TO 81 IL cents
per day In the cotton mills, cotton-seed
OH mills. and SOAP factory ~ 1orreon
men are paid o. - - sd cents. and Wo-
mon and children - cents per day A
CarcadOr public carrier. has rare OF
u - cents per hour. bur YOU can nife
him for from % % 81 - cents per day.
At Leon. where nearly al the leather
goods In Mexico are Manufactured, the
Deon Gets his leather cut for shoes mar
ness. or other Goods 20 be made by hln
and takes the material 20 his nut, Whfie
the vhclc family assists nm, the same ,iS
IN tho sWeat-shOpa OF Chicago. For max
lng shoes he receives 81 and upward per
dozen pairs. On the other leather goods
he receives 81 l-2 10 ID cents per day Tor
his latOrs. vorkns az long ts daylight
lasts. avera ging twelve 10 fourteen hours
; er day. Common labOrers can be air.d
from Is 10 ~ cents per day. House ser
wants. male or female, receive - 10 -
per month and board themselves. In or
near cities Teons live in adobe houses ana
pay rental OF 50 a year for the gr9dnd
that the house stands on. When leaV-
ing this for another location all Improve
ments the peon has made 90 10 the land
lord or owner Of the land who pays no
taxes whatever en- the land
LARGE MONEY FOR SOMBREROS.
"a mans chief article OF dress Is his
sombreto. often costing as much as s35
A. No fral bal al
while the balance OF his clothing would
make crazy quilt turn green with envy
owing TO It's variety OF cOlorS and assOrt-
ment OF patches. making II hard proc
lem TO solve as 20 which u the original
garment and which the patch No stock
sngs are worn by either sex, and only
about one-thifd wear sandals, which are
made from piece OF sole leather and tied
10 the foot with straps. These sandals
cost from y 10 20 cents per pair The
average cost OF the necessities OF lie fOr
the peon is about p cents per day, ana
clothing about so per year
a DAVIS work In Mexico runs from ten
20 fourteen hours. The bakers worE
twenty hours. and workmen who take
work 70 their homes work as many hours
as they please. The Mexican laborer
works easy compared with the American
laborer. except the carrier. who bears
enormous burdens on his back all day
without manifcsting fatigue. The ques-
ton or shorter hours 10 Mexico IS lDIlB
ways Of for a country IN which labor II
so cheap and plentiful that II IS offered
as an inducement 20 bring foreign canltai
IN and It's toilers will be compelled 10
work as many hours az they are physical
~ able and. thanks 10 Organized labor
or the American workingman would be
in the same condition to-day as his Mex
lean brother.
PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURAL IMPLE-
MENTS.
THE haclondas TOR plantations) are
owned by the very rich, and cover an
arVa OF from ten To one hundred square
miles. Farming and agricultural imple-
ments are very primitive. The pillow Is
crooked stick or beam and scratches the
ground 10 "a depth Of three or four inches.
This Flow is drawn by two oxen, ard
the harness Is a broad strap or rope pass
ing over the forehead instead OF the
shoulders of the oxen Planting Is done