The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-14
Low WAGES PAID
IN OLD MEXICO
Special Committee Of Chicago Working
men Submits Its Report.
PITIABLE CONDITION OF PEONs
Result Of an Independent Inquity Into
the Economic Conditions Of the
Leading Free Silver COuntry..A
Chapter That should Be Read by
Every American LabOrer.

Chicago Oct. 13.-Some months ago
the Trade and Labor assembly OF this
city sent u committee to Mexico 10 IN
vcstigate the condition of the LABOR
ing classes of that country. That COM
mittee has handed in its report. 1t 10
as follows:
The first stop made by your COM
mittee was at FL Paso, Tex, where we
Investigated the wages paid and the
conditions of the American laborers.
From that point we crossed to the CITY
of IuareZ. but two miles from El Paso.
At this place "a complete change met
the eye. Everything assumed a MeXi-
can air, and we realized that the time
had arrived when the real duties OF
our mission began. We took obserVa-
TONS of the people as to their appear
ance, mode of living. social conditions,
wages paid, and prices of commodi-
ties, and were surprised at the con-
trast as compared with conditions, etc.,
in FL Paso.
''The two peoples. as to their habits,
tastes, customs, and modes of life, are
such that a comparison is unnatural
Life is regarded from very different
standpoints, as they live under differ
ent conditions, inasmuch as the MeXi-
can laborer is apparently content with
the four bare walls Of his ten-foot
square adobe hut, with nothing inside
hut the ground to sleep on. a shawl or
blanket to cover or wrap himself up in.
dish of tortilles (corn pancakes), and
frejOles (beans) for his frugal meal,
and in a large number Of cases little
pig, dog, and chicken of the game
cock order sharing his scant quarters,
while the American laborer across the
line has all the comforts OF home and
many of the luXuries of life.
WAGES PAID.
Wages in Mexico, except to skilled
and steady mechanics-always foreign
ers-are very low. On railroads engi-
receive $2l0 per month, while the fire.
men (Mexicans) receive $1.S5 per day;
freight engineers (Americans), $3.50 per
month; firemen MeXican), $1.50 to $1.75
per day; passenger conductors (Ameri-
cans), $l60 per month"; brakemen
Mexicans), $3.50 per day; freight con-
ductors (Americans). 5000 per month;
hrakemen Mexicans), $57 to $63 per
month; Pullman conductors. $50 per
month (American money!, and the por-
ters, s3S per month (American money!,
with So per month extra for being able
TO talk Spanish. The national soldiers
Cor regular army Of Mexico. called
rurales. and who are all eX-bandits,
receive 81 per day. In broom factory
near the depot at Jiminez the men are
paid SO cents, and women and children
% to 37l4 cents per day. In the cotton
mills. cotton-seed oil mills, and soap
factory at Toreon men are paid 371a to
80 cents, and women and children %
cents per day. A carcador (public car
ler has rate of 12lh cents per hour
lint hira hin, 20, f,.n, IN
31ia cents per day.
AT Leon, where nearly all the leath-
er goods in Mexico are manufactured,
the peon gets his leather cut for shoes,
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 sweat-shops of
Chicago. For making shoes he receives
81 and upward per dozen pairs; on the
other leather goods he receives 37E to
80 cents per day for his labors, work.
ing as long as daylight lasts, averag-
ing twelve to fourteen hours per day.
Common laborers can be hired for IS
to so cents per day. House servants,
male or female, receive SO to S. per
month and board themselves. In or
near cities poems live in adobe houses
and pay rental of SO per year for the
ground that the house stands on. When
leaving this for another location all
improvements the peon has made go
TO the landlord or owner of the land,
who pays no taxes whatever on the
land.
LARGE MONEY FOR SOMBREROS.
"A mans chief article Of dress is his
soinbrero, often costing as much as $35
(Which Is bought on the installment
rlan. while the balance Of his clothing
would make a crazy quilt turn green
with envy, owing to it's variety Of COL
"rs and assortment Of patches, making
II hard problem to solve as to which
Is the original garment and which the
patch. No stockings are worn by eth
~ sex. and only about one-third wear
sandals, which are made from a piece
of sole leather and tied to the foot
with straps. These sandals cost from
IL to 20 cents per pair. The average
cost OF the necessities Of life for the
pcon is about 25 cents per day, and
clothing about $50 per year.
"A days work in Mexico runs from
ten to fourteen hours. The bakers
work twenty hours, and workmen who
take work to their homes work as many
hours as they please. The Mexican
laborer works easy compared with the
American laborer, except the carrier,
"ho pcdiS cIoIulOuS DuTuenS on MS
back all day without manifesting fa-
tiSue. The question of shorter hours
to Mexico is a long ways Off for a
country in which labor is so cheap and
plentiful that 1t Is offered as an in
ducement to bring foreign capital in,
and its toilers will be compelled to work
as many hours as they are physically
able, and thanks to organized labor, or
the American wOrkingmen would be in
the same condition today as his Mexi-
can brother.
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
''The haciendas (or plantations) are
owned by the very rich, and cover an
area Of from ten to one hundred square
miles. Farming and agricultural i'm
plements are very primitive. The plow
is crooked stick or beam, and scratch.
rs the ground to a depth of three or four
inches. This 'plow' is drawn by two
oxen, and the harness is broad strap