The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-10-15
CHICAGO TRADE AND LABOR AS
SEMBLY COMMITTEE MAKE
THEIR REPORT ON
CONDITION OF LABOR IN MEXICO.
The Reports Say the American Laborer
Is Prince Compared With the
Mexican Laborer-Report Was
Adopted Almost Unanimously.

country" has returned to Chicago and |
submitted its report at the meeting 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 submit
ting their report, that they had carried
out their mission in an unbiased and non
partisan manner and they simply pictured
the low state of the working class as il
was without reference to politics. There
were many calculations of astomshment
at the pitiable pictures presented and
the motion to adopt the report called forth
but little debate.
The report is in part as follows:
THE first stop by your committee was
at lei Paso, Texas, where we investi-
gated the wages paid and The condition
of the American laborers. From that
point we crossed to the city of Juarez,
but two miles from Eel Paso. At this
place complete change met the eye
everything assuming Il Mexican air. and
we realized that the time had arrived
when the real duties of our mission
began. We took observations of the
people, as to their appearance, mode of
living, social conditions, wages paid and
prices of commodities, and were sur
prised at the contrast as compared with
conditions, etc, in lei Paso. The two
peoples, as to their habits, customs and
modes of life, are such that II comparison
is unnatural Life is regarded from Il
very different standpoint, as they live
under different conditions, inasmuch as
the Mexican laborer is apparently con-
tent with the bare walls of his ten foot
square adobe house, with nothing inside
but the ground to sleep on, shawl or
blanket to cover or wrap himself in,
dish of tortillas (corn pancakes) and
frejoles (beans) for his frugal meal, and,
in large number of cases, n pig, dog
or chicken or two of the game cock or
der sharing his scant quarters, while the
| American laborer across the border has
all the comforts and many of the
| luxuries of home life. Wages in
Mexico, except to skilled and steady
mechanics, always foreigners, are very
low. On railways, engineers tAmeri-
cans) on passenger trains receive $40
per month, while firemen (Mexican) re-
ceive S1.S5 per days. freight engineers
(American), $3.50 per month; iircmen
(Mexican), $1.50 to $1.75 per day; pas
senger conductors (American), S160 per
month; brakemen (Mexican), S1.50 per
day; freight conductors, 5000 per month;
brakemen Mexican), $57 to $40 per
| ulOuln, ullllliH COHuuCtOTS, Tco p'i
month american money! and the por-
tiers $3.50 per month american money!,
with s. per month extra for beng able
to talk Spanish.
'"rhe national soldiers, or regular
army of Mexico, called rurales, and who
are all ex-bandits, receive 81 per day.
"In q broom factory ut Jiminez the
men are paid 80 cents; women and chill
dren 25 to 81 IL cents per day. In the
cotton mills, cotton seed oil mills and
soap factories at TorreOn, men are paid
81 IL to so cents, women and children
% cents per day. A carcardon public
carrier) has rate of IL IL cents per
hour, but you can hire him Tor from
% to 81 IL cents per day.
"At Leon, where nearly all the leather
goods in Mexico are manufactured, the
peon gets his leather cut for harness or
other goods to be made by him and takes
the material to his hut, where the whole
family assists him, the same as in the
shoes he receives 81 and upwards per
dozen pairs; on the other leather goods
he receives 81 IL to 50 cents per day for
his labors, working as long rs daylight,
Averaging II to IA hours per day.
Common laborers can be hired for
Is to so cents per day. House SER
cants, male or female. receive 50 TO 50
per month and board themselves. In or
near cities poems live in adobe houses
and pay rental of So year Cor the
ground. When leaving this for another
location "all improvements" the Deon has
made go to the landlord or owner Of the
lands who pays no taxes whatever On
the land. A mans chief article of dress
is his sombrcro, costing as much as $50
(which is bought on the nstalment
PLAN, while the balance of his clothing
would make crazy quit turn green
with envy owing to its variety Of coors
and assortment of patches, making ].
Il hard problem TO solve as to which is
the original garment and which the
patch. No stockings are worn by either
sex, and or,y about one-thrd wear san
dals. which are made from piece Of
sole leather and tied to the foot with
straps. These sandals cost from II Ia
20 cents per pair. The average cost OF
necessities of life for pcon family of
five is 20 cents per day, and clothing
for the same costs about $50 per year.
"The days work in Mexico runs from
10 to IA hours. The bakers work 20
hours and workmen who take work to
please. The Mexican laborer works
easy compared with the American Ia
borcr, except the carrier, who bears
enormous burdens on his back all day
without manifesting fatigue. The ques-
ton Of shorter hours in Mexico IN a long
way off, for country in which labor Is
so cheap and plentiful that it is offered
an inducement to bring foreign capital
and its toiers will be compelled to work
as many hours as they are physically
able, and, but for the efforts of organized
labor, the American workingmen would
be in the same condition today as his
Mexican brother.
"The haciendas are owned by the very
rich and cover an area Of from ten to 100
miles. Farming and agricultural nipple
meDts are very primitive: The pillow is 0
crooked stick and beam, and scratches the
ground to a depth of three to four inches
The plow is drawn by two oxen, and the
harness is a broad strap or rope passing
over the forehead instead of the shout
ders of the oxen. Planting is done by
poking hole into the ground with Q
stick, dropping the corn into it, and thu
seed is covered by the peon in stepping
from hole to hole. In these immense
tracts of lands the natives or poems have
lived for centuries, and are forced to bu.
all their necessities of life Mt the hoci
endas 0and owners truck store. On tn.
haciendas the poems gets from IL to =
cents per day for his work and hut t
live in If he builds it himself. The peol
gets no money except on fete days ant
for religious offerings. By this system h
is always in debt to the hacienda. Thi
| ~ oil farbi1Inn Ia