Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-10-08

same paving commands In American
money In the States. American cities
pay shout $3.50 q square yard for brick
paved streets. Monterey will get her
streets paved for q little less than $3.50
= square yard, and that price will be In
money worth one-half the American
price.
Other Occupations.
Az In mining and In brickmaking. 20 It
g N AZ industries. Monterey is boom
and can Sc paid rsidri IN the the deprecated Ill.
Yer. That gives the margin Of ,proft.
The most striking Of the object lessons,
perhaps, are those which the railroads
furnish. These roads In Mexico are
well managed. The depots and sur.
ronndings are marvelonsly clean and
fayorably with those in the states. The
train service. IL excellent. Mexican
money does II. East from Laredo to
Corpus Christi, ON the Gulf, wholly on
American soil, the Mexican National ha.
9 division 100 miles long. Southwark
from Laredo the first division Of the
ssnSe road !" Mo within M les m;,s territory, aSa3t the
CClA0o ~ NAOutCACys 4OC AIIlScs AUVVe ~
same distance. On one side of the Rio
Grande. the Mexican National pays
side the pay roll is met with American
money.
Conductors between Laredo and Corpus
get 800 a month in gold. Conductors
between Laredo and Monterey get $3.50
a month in Mexican silver, which il
worth $67.60. for the same kind of serv-
ice.
Engineers on the Texas side are paid
1850 in gold for 100 miles. Engineers
on the Mexican side receive $3.50 in
Mexican silver, worth $2.S6, for 100
miles.
Brakemen running to Corpus get $50 a
month in gold: to Monterey. $50 a
month in Mexican silver, worth $1,000.
Firenlen on the Texas division are paid
at the rate of $3.50 in gold for 100 miles
Travelled; On the Mexican division. $2.25,
4 general officer of the Mexican Ma
print, gave these wages from his books.
When he had read them off to this point,
an interested looker-on interrupted with:
Il should think all of the fellows on
the Monterey division would a to get
on the Texas division"
Probably they would" said the officer.
but we have combined the runs SO that
VIA aAA AAiAVu J. VllC CACWS XVI tuIOukA
from Corpus to Monterey. That gives
them l6O miles on a gold basis in Texas
and 1853 miles on a silver basis in Next
CO. They nave the gold and the silver di-
visions alternately. We do that to give
them all the same chance"
when did the company adopt this plan
Of evening things"
About two years ago."
How about wages Of section hands 2"
The official turned to the books again.
"On the Texas division" he said. fore
men get $40 a month in American money.
The labOrers get Is cents a day. On the
Mexican side foremen get $40 a month in
Mexican silver. and laborers 82h cents,
both In Mexican silver"
gives section f0rcmen on the Mexican side
~ q month N section hands about 81
cents q day in American money.
but o must remember" said the
railroad official. these figures for fore
men and labor hold good only as far be-
low the border ms Saltillo. That is go
miles south OF the frontier. As you go
toward the interior wages decrease.
From Saltillo southwark to San Luis
Pofosi, miles. section foremen are
paid $50 q day and laborers Soc a day.
all In Mexican silver. Still further
south, below San Luis Potosi, the pay is
Sl;25 q day for foremen and for laborer
S1z3c = day. Mexican silver"
Have railroad wages undergone any
change with the decline of Mexican sii-
mo. These are the rates today. and
they were the same in 1883. when silver
dollars were worth a half more than they
are now"
Concerning Lead.
"The silver mine owners of Monterey
would be greatly gratitied to see Mr..
Bryan restore silver to $1.29 an ounce %
was suggested to Mr.: joaquin Maiz.
Sn the contrary" replied the owner
emphasis. "the less silver is worth, the
better for u.s."
This seeming paradox Mr.. Maiz pro.
ceeded to explain. In 90 doing he threw
much light upon the operation of the sill
yer basis in a silver country. What he
said Of wages and living will be par.
If We got si.2o an - ou na,..' h hea1 be.
gan, 1T would be $1.20 in Mexican
money. Mexican money would be the
same as American money, and both the
same AZ gold. Under present conditions,
suppose we got only IS cents an ounce in
American money for our silver. That
American money is worth 100 per cent
more than Mexican money. In other
words, the 65 cents an ounce in Amer
ANoA AAOAGy Va BO1u lux OuT 1llVGE 1e
worth double that in Mexican money,
So you see we would get no more pel
ounce in Mexican money II silver war
worth $1.20. Now the main value OF
Monterey ores does not come from
the silver, but from the lead. If 1 have
lead In my silver ore running Is pel
| cent. that will be 500 pounds Of lead
to the ton Of ore. At 3 cents that lend
ID worth SIS In the United States. Thai
ID SIS in gold, which il $50 in Mexican
| money.
"Silver, you must remember" Mr.
Maix continued, doesn't govern tho
price Of lead. If silver should 70 up t.
&1.20 an ounce, or, which il the same
thing, to par with gold. my lead would
keep about even, regardless of the fuc
tuation Of silver. 1t would still BIZ
worth 3 cents In gold. My 500 pounds Of
lead per ton would be worth SIS in gold
but II wouldn't be worth any more Ii
silver. It would be SIS in gold in Amer
lean silver and in Mexican silver"
Having shown that he would get very
little If any more in Mexican money
for his silver IL II commanded s .29
or par with gold, and having demon
strated that the advance OF silver t
$40 would knock him ont Of half OF
his return for the lead. measured By the
1 xF,~sncr rnonn NJ Nat ~.~~~~Al ~