The record-union., 1896-10-17

| been no variation in the wages of herd
ers. of farm workers or of any class OF
| common labor. For different kinds of
! Mexican labor the range is 50 to $l5 q
month. and it has been that year after
year."
| When the mail was opened at the
American Consul Generals Office to-day
it contained letter from the State De-
partment. Assistant Secretary of State
Rockhiil wrote directing the Consul
General to furnish as quickly as possi-
tle a statement showing the prices
now and in 1873 upon long list of ar
ticles, such as ginghams, flour. flannel,
bacon and things which enter into gen.
eral consumption in American families.
The letter also called for a statement
OF wages paid labor of various kinds In
| 1913 and now. 1t is evident from the
character of the letter that it has been
sent to other Consular offices in Mexico.
In 1873 the Mexican dollar was worth
little more than 100 cents. Now it is
worth 81 cents. The State Department
wishes to show in comparison the prices
and the wages under the two conditions
of silver at par and silver at 5I cents.
II will not take long to compile the
statement of wages. When finished,
that statement will show the wages of
| 1873 and the wages of 1896 to be the
same in dollars, although the dollars
have changed in value.
| "A comparison of wages in this coun-
try is somewhat difficult to make" said
| Vice-Consul General Walls. You cam
! not say that one class of servants re-
ceives the same pay. Take the house
servants. One will receive more than
another. l have a good cook, to whom
pay $40 a month, and another servant
who gets 50. There may be some house
| servants of tried capacity who get 50 or
S3 more than others. But for the same
kind of service We pay the same in
Mexican money that we did in 1878 and
before that. On the railroads the laborer
receives the same or little less than
the rates which has prevailed for years.
On most of the haciendas the rate for
| labor has been ) reals, or 31R cents, a
day for years. Very little of it is paid
III money. Every hacienda has its store
The peon trades out his wages. He rare
ly has anything coming to him. / have
| no idea that the comparison of wages
now with what were paid for the same
kinds Of labor in 1873, when silver dol
lars We're worth 100 cents, will show
any increase
Vice President Gabriel Morton Of the
Mexican National Railroad system pass
ed through Laredo to-day. He has been
in the mountains near Asheville n. c.,
and is on his way to the City Of Mex
&C., hopeful that the United States will
adopt free coinage. He believes it will
be of advantage to Mexico. His views
of this question Of free silver are Of
more than ordinary interest.
Wages" said Mr.. Morton in reply
to question, have remained about
the same in Mexico for years. They
have not increased or decreased with
the fluctuations of silver. Everything
is on a silver basis with U.S. We have
no gold in circulation. We don't take
gold into consideration. Some gold is
p. cduced in Mexico, but it is sent off
out of the country and sold as quickly
as possible. Silver is the money we
know, and it is only when we have to
meet some obligation in gold outside Of
the country that we feel the difference
in the value.
About twenty-five years ago." con-
tinued Mr.. Morton, 1.-The railroads in
Mexico for time paid wages in gold.
| Silver was the basis Of exchange It
was worth = or cents more on a dollar
than gold. The railroads received their
exchange, deposited it in the banks and
bought gold because 1t was the cheaper
money in which to pay employees. When
silver ceased to be any more valuable
than gold, the railroads paid in silver.
They have paid in silver ever since.
Wages have undergone little change.
There has been no change that can be
attributed to silver. About ten years
ago it took 81 q in Mexican money to
make an American dollar. In 1890 sill
yer returned temporarily almost to par
with gold. Now the Mexican dollar is
worth only 81 or 80 cents in gold. But
wages have remained the same
through these years The cost of liy-
ing has not undergone much change
except in such articles as are imported
from countries on gold basis. Those
things have advanced in price to cor
respond with the depreciation in sill
YER
How would free coinage of silver by
the United States affect Mexico, Mr.
Morton?"
Il believe that in a general way il
; would be Of benefit to the masses of the
people. 1t would tend to improve their
; condition. If the money the Mexican
earns should become good as Ameri-
; can money, there would be an advan-
| tage In various ways. The past two OF
three years have been bad crop years
in portions of Mexico. The Mexican
laborers consume great deal of corn
! They have had to look to the United
States for that corn and have had to
pay more for it than they would have
) paid if their money had been as good as
, American money.
: 'Of course" explained Mr. Morton
with smile, 'the theory that Mexico
, would be much benefited by free coinage
in the United States presupposes that
prices of products in that country are
going to remain under free coinage
about as they are under the present
standard"
'All of your railroad business in Mex
leo is done on a silver basis?"
Yes. Our passenger and freight tar
ifs are all calculated in silver. The
only time we take gold into considera-
ton is when we have to meet obligations
abroad
Suppose the United States should
adopt free coinage and be able to main
tain silver on parity with gold: what
would be the effect on the railroads of
Mexico?"
I'VE would pay dividends on our
stock
Suppose the United States should
not be able to maintain silver at parity
with gold but should be forced to drop
to the silver level with Mexico; what
effect would that have on Mexican rail-