The Meeker herald., 1896-10-17
CONDITIONS IN MEXICO.
rhe Ch,sago Labor Assembly, Commaste'
Report.

rhe CA,cago Labor Assembly, Committeo
Report.
Chicago, Oct. 1.-THE committee OF
the Trades and baI.or Assembly. sent to
Mexico BY that organization ''to investi-
gate the condition of the laborng classes
of that country" has returned to Chicago
and submitted Its report at the meeuhe
Of the assembly this afternoon.
The report was adopted by an almost
unanimous vote. only two members
speaking In opposition to It,
The delegates claimed, in submitting
their report, that they carried out the'r
mission In an unbiased and non-partisah
manner, and they simply pictured the low
state of the working classes as II was
without reference to political questions.
There were many calculations OF as'on-
ishment at the pitiable pictures presented,
and the motion to adopt the report called
forth but little debate The report says
In part:
"The two peoples. as to their habits,
tastes, customs and modes OF life, are
such that comparison Is unnatural. Lie
is regarded from very different stand
points, as they live under different CON
ditions, inasmuch as the Mexican laborer
Is apparently contented with the -FOUR
bare walls of his ten-foot square adobe
,h.... ...ish Anafhfs,S insido hnt the bare
ground to sleep on, shawl or blanket to
wrap himself in, a dish Of tortillas (corn
pancakes) and friglles (beans) for his
frugal meal, and in large number OF
cases, little pig. dog and chicken or
two Of the game cock order sharing his
scant quarters, while the American labor
er across the line had all the comforts OF
home and many of the luxuries of life.
"wages in Mexico, except to skilled
and steady mechanics-always foreigners
are very low On railroads engineers
(Americnn) on passenger trains receive
$3.50 per month. while the tiremen Mex
icans) receive S1.S5 per day; freight ell
gineers (Americam $3.50 per month. fire.
men (Mexican S1.50 to s1.I5 per day;
passenger conductors (AmericaD $1GO
per month, brakemen (MexicaD $1.O
per day; freight conductors (American)
$500 per month. brakemen tMexican) $51
to $63 per month; Pullman conductors
$50 per month american money!, and
the porters $2S per month american
money! with s. per month extra for be-
ing able to talk Spanish. The national
soldiers Irregular army Of Mexico), called
rurales, and who are all ex-bandits, re-
ceive 81 day. In broom factory, near
the depot at Jimenez, the men are paid
so cents, women and children % to 37H
cents per day. In the cotton mills, seed
oil mills and soap factories at Torreon,
men are paid 47h to 80 cents, women
and children % cents per day. A cara
dor public carrier) has rate Of 121a
cents per hour, but you can hire him for
from Is to 371a cents per day.
"Yom commission would caution Amer
lean workmen against going to Mexico
-s.,--.-4 --.n-iant s.nds 20 bring thou
back or to have employment secured be
to subslst on cactus and the sap Of the
Tequila plant while doing the country.
On asking an American who was con-
Quoting prosperous business in one Of
the cities, which your commission visited,
why 1t was that the foreignSrs all seemed
to be making money, no IAatter what
business they were engaged Id, he. with
characteristic Yankee frankness, replied
The laborer here is different from the
laborer In the states. Here labor Is cheap
and we have no brains to contend with "