People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-10-08

tendance Of the pupils is compulsory under
the statute, and it is provided that when
children between certain ages are employ
ed in factory or in any industry the en-
ployer must guarantee the attendance Of
such children upon some regularly estab-
lished school.
The banditti, who made travelling In
Mexico an undertaking fraught with con-
siderable danger, have wholly disappeared.
One may travel from the Rio Grande to
the southern border without an escort,
without weapon and entirely without
danger to life and property. The former
brigands are now members of the
"rurales," one Of the finest bodies of cav
airy in the world, or have become charcoal
burners.
Causes of Improvement.
Whether this great improvement in Mex
lean economical and social conditions is to
BIZ attributed to the stable government es.
tablished and maintained By President
Diaz, to the opening up Of the country by
railways, Of which nearly all the 900
miles in operation have been constructed
within the last 10 years, or the investment OF
foreign capital, or whether it is due to the
currency system based on silver as many
assert, are questions upon which l do not
feel qualified to pass upon dogmatically.
AS matter Of fact, many things have con-
tributed to the present condition of pros
perity. The system of coinage upon which
you ask information was established by an
act passed in 1867 modifying the old law.
The standard Of value is silver, and the
unit is the dollar The legal weight of the
dollar is 407 $40 grains troy, 902, ~ fine,
and contains, therefore, 377 $40 grains fine
silver. 1t is worth in gold, with silver
bullion at the existing price, So cents. My
inquiries show that there has been prac-
tically no increase in the prices of provi-
sions, clothing or agricultural produce or
articles Of domestic manufacture by reason
of the fab in the price of silver. The only
increase Of price noted is in imported mer-
chandise, to the cost of which the exchange
and duty are added. Meats are perhaps the
only articles of food which have enhanced
in cost. This is attributed to the fact that
higher wages caused by improved indus
trial conditions have enabled the people to
buy more meat, and thus increased the de-
mand and consequently the cost. The ex-
iStence Of small meat trust also contrib
utes to higher price. This price is still
further added to by the heavy special as
sessments or license fees levied upon the
butcher shops in this city since the abo-
lition Of the old "alcabalas" taxes, under
which system of taxation all goods, wares,
merchandise, vegetables and farm products,
however small, brought into this market
were taxed at the 'garitas" or gates Of
this federal district.
The depreciation in silver values and the
increase in price of foreign articles have
had the effect of reducing importations
and greatly stimulating and Strengthening
domestic manufactures. Reviewing the
commerce Of five years, these facts are
shown: In 1890 the imports amounted to
s52,O1S, 65S and the exports to 500, 276, 1896;
in 1895 goods to the value of S34, 900, 44O
were brought into the country and 800,
1854, 953 sent out
Laborers and Their Wages.
The wages paid laborers and artisans
are largely improved Formerly workmen,
particularly agricultural laborers, were
paid in "kind." Now they are paid in
money. In the case Of farm laborers, it is
the custom of the country for the employ
er, in addition to the regular wages, to al.
low the laborer the use of certain acreage
to raise his own food. In many of the az
ricultural districts, instead of employing
labor directly, the owners Of haciendas fol
low what is known in the United States as
the share system of cultivating their land.
Those who were formerly practically serfs
now receive half the crop they raise Corn
is the great staple Of the country.
In considering the labor and wage ques.
ton it Should be borne in mind that the
American skilled workman possesses on
the average much higher degree of skill
In his trade than the Mexican employed in
a similar vocation. The American skilled
workman also performs much more work
in day than the workman in this coun.
try. Minister Romero, in an article in
The North American Review in 1892,
notes this difference. Mr.. Romero says;
1.-THE Mexican laborer Is not as we'll fed
and paid as those In the United States. He
generally works until he is exhausted, and
his work, therefore, is not so productive.
He Is not, on the whole, so we'll educated
as the average laborer in the United States.
he has fewer wants to satisfy. There are
less inducements for him to work Then
there are certain climatic Influences that
have their bearing upon them. The day
work Of the Mexican laborer represents
only one-fourth Of that accomplished dur.
ing the same time by laborer in the Unit
ed States A Mexican laborer working 1C
or II hours day accomplishes less work
than an English or American born lsborer
sccomplishes in 9 hours, and in some In.
stances the disproportion Is as I toe.
In the ordinary occupations here wages
range about as follows for an II to 70 hour
day:
Laborers In large cities, frem 81 to 81
cents per day.
In the country. from 10 to 80 cents per day.
Where men work at the former price meals are
furnished by the employer. II food is not fur.
nished, an allowance of 10 to Is cents per day
is made for rations. The average laborer
will live and be In good strength on 10 to L
cents per day and support his family on about
IS cents. OF course he will have little patch
Of corn and beans planted near his hut, and
these will constitute the largest part of bis
daily bill Of fare.
Factory laborers, unskilled, 50 cents to 81;
skilled, sl.5o to $3.50.
Mechanics in factories, $3.50 to IS.
Machinists, railway shops, $3.50 to S.
Miners, 90 cents to sl.5Q.
Plumbers, native, 81 to $3.50; plumbers,
American, SO to s.
Blacksmiths, $3.50 to $3.50
Stonemasons, 81 to sl.50.
Smelter men, 81 to $50.
Boiler makers, 81 to s..
Rricklavaro z 20 N