Crawford avalanche., 1896-08-20

silver Moasy end Wages.
The free silver sdvocsteso 'casionally
claim that silver is the money Of civil
izstiou- Now here arc tho ~ countries
using the gold standard Of values:
United Kingdom, France, Germany,
Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Greece.
Spain. Portugal, Roumanis, Ssrvia,
Austria Hungary, Netherlands, Can
ada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Tur-
key, Australia, Egypt, Cuba, Haiti.
Bulgaria aud the United States. And
here are the eight countries using the
silver standard: Mexico, Russia, Gen.
trail American states, South American
states, Japan, India, China and Straits
settlements
Now which represents the best civil
ization, the - gold standard or the
eight silver standard countries?
With reference to wages in two Of
the silver countries, the Hon. 8. r.
Gracey, formerly consul to Foo Chew,
China, gives tho following account OF
the conditions existing in China and
Mexico:
"When I went 10 China In 1890 the
Mexican silver dollar was the common
currency in use by the natives In their
dealingswith foreigners and were worth
93ccnts in gold. After the change OF the
value of the rupee in India the value
of the Mexican dollar rapidly declined,
and in less than a year the Mexican
dollar was only GO cents, and in V3 IL
fell to So cents, and since then has
maintained an average of 81 cents or
SO cents.
"The price of all foreign goods was
Immediately affected and was soon
doubled. All native products were
also advanced, but not to the same cx.
tent. Native labor continued at the
old price. We paid our help just the
same number Of dollars per month in
"a with the same silver dollars we
bought for SO cents of gold, that we
did in 90 when we paid % cents for
them.
''Thc natives will not work for for
cigners as cheaply as they do for con.
tractors of their own country. and we
had to pay the high wages Of 81 Mexi-
can per month, or about ~ cents per
day, which on a gold basis was about
5 cents, and they found themselves in
everything. Native contractors could
obtain the same class of laborers for
from $3.50 to Sc Mexican per month,
and for the best skilled labor, mechan-
les, citizens, ETC., not more than 50,
which at the present value of the Mex
lean dollar in gold in that country is
about 81. 10 TO 81. 90 per month, or from
4 cents TO cents per day in gold.
my son spent last winter in south
ern Mexico, and he tells me that la
borcrS on the coffee plantations there
arc usually paid about 90 cents per day
In Mexican silver. This would he
much better than the wages Of Asiatic
laborers in their country, for in China
there is no Sunday, and men work
from new moon TO new moon, and
from 10 to l2 hours u day and call it a
month.
II recently met n gentleman in lSos'
ton, who was here To secure four or
five American citizens as superintcnd-
ents for departments in Il watch factory
he has established at Osaka, in japan,
and he asserted that he could obtain
the best classes of native skilled la
borers for work in his factory at 20
cents per day Mexican, labor which in
this country commands $3.50 to 81 per
day gold.
What can our American working.
men be thin when they
crowd Faneuil -. shout them.
selves hoarsc ovc- - ,ition TO pay
them in silver do..-rs worth only So
cents, when all the world except coun-
tries like China, India, Japan, Mexico,
etc., which arc on n silver basis, is
main ntaining a l00-cent dollar as the
medium of payment to all wuge earn.
crs?"