The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-10-17


doors, by day or night, than q. person y
In the c;tyof Chicago at police head quarters
In the middle of the day. House breaking,
robberies,, hold or murders are an un-l
known quantity in Mexican Cites"
And again: rs.
Call business in Mexico is transacted on
strictly cash basis. no credits are given
or allowed to any one or for any purpose
whatever, commercial paper and promises
to pay are unknown. and II a merchant
has a stock of goods, be it large OR small,
every article is paid for, consequently no
business failures have occurred in that
country for years.
"The compulsory school law works admir-
ably; it requires children between the ages
OF and is years to attend the public
schools ten months in the year. Statistics
OF Mexico show that where ten years ago
Is per cent Of its people could not read nor
write now 66 per cent can.
another admirable feature of Mexican
business life is that all places Of business
are closed daily from to O'clock at
noon to permit everybody to go home to
dinner, while stools and chairs are pro-
vided in all stores for the use of both the
clerks and the customers The worst feat
ure Of Mexican business life is that no fixed
price is put on any article, but the mer-
chant will tell the truth as to the exact
quality Of the goods to be purchased. 1t
the buyer offers one-ha.f Or one-third OF
the price originally asked, the article can.
generally be bought.
Wages are paid every wednesday and
Saturday."
Such country does not seem to be such
an outrageous one to live in. The people
there look upon life from different stand
point than we do, and they live under diff
ferent conditions.
The go;dbug papers are asking every
body if he has read the report of this COM.
mittee on Mexico, and If not to read it at
once and be convinced OF the horrors of a
country because Of free silver. They never,
Of course, point out the social beauties,
commercial progress and intellectual ad-
vancement of the people of Turkey because
of their dwelling under the benign infu-
ence of the gold standard. But then the
majority of people in Turkey are engaged
in the butchery business and that may ac
count for it.
But here are some facts concerning Mex
leo which appear to have escaped the visit
ing committee that was busy looking after
the bare-headed and bare-footed women;
The Sonora Mining Company pays its en-
g.neers SIS day; smelters, $40, biacksmiths
SO, miners $3.50 to s., lumbermen $3.50 to-
So, wheelbarrow men $3.50 to $3.50. The
pay roll of the company foots up nearly
St, 900 month. Living is very cheap in
Mexico and the president OF the company
mentioned testifies that the rate Of wages
is increasing Railway conductors average
$3.50 month, locomotive engineers $l75.
Common labor can be had at Is cents a
day without board or $40 month with
board. It is not an unusual thing for car
penters to work in this country for so cents
day and board themselves. Why, the av-
erage wage rate OF skilled labor in this
country is less than $1.50 day, remarka-
BILE as that statement may appear.
iLuxuries in the way of food are dear IN
Mexico, but SO they are everywhere. Many
articles Of food that Americans consider
necessary for their we'll being are not con-
sidered necessary in Mexico, nor in many
other portions of the word besides Mexico.
Ireland, Scotland. Italy or in other coun-
tries among the laborlng classes. The OBJ
servations of those who have closely
studied Mexico IS that the laborer there
may live happily on torti!las corn PAN
cakes), frijoles (beans) and chili-can-carne
for about 6 cents Of his country's money
and for cents more he can get drink of
mescal and good cigar. He is then as
well off and as happy as the American who
pays Is cents for an Indifferent meal and
another Is cents for his nip and cigar.
While many American products are high
er across the border in Mexico than here
because of customs dues, transportation
charges and large profits inseparabie from
small sales-it requires a Gordon
of sentries to prevent the smug
Cling of Mexican staples into
the United States; that the diff
ference in price is so great that not one
returning American tourist In ten thousand
can resist the temptation to do little con-
traband trade For the year ending June
20, 1895, Mexico bought Of lis merchandise
to the value Of 1411a millions. Did she give
us therefor 20 millions of her "50-cent ST.
yer dollars?" Not exactly; she sold us
1917 million dollars worth of her general
products and pocketed a comfortable trade
balance.
Despite her poverty and mongrel people,
Mexico is rapidly developing industrial,y;
while the United States, the wealthest ma
ton in the world, her labor-savtng machin-
cry the mightiest miracle since the crea-
ton of the Cosmos, the muscles Of her peo--
pie throbbing with energy, Their blood
ablaze with the Promethean fire OF enter
prise, is standing stiil-bound with god
chains, like another Andromeda to the
rock, the prey OF monsters It should be
pointed out that the wage rate IS slowly
but surely advancing IN the land of Diaz,
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