The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-24

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a goldbug organ, consequently what it
says relative to silver is not likely to
be distorted in favor of the white
metal. On the subject of wages in
Mexico "a. free silver country the
correspondent of that paper. writing
from Durango. gives the following as
the scale for railway employees:
Per
Month
Passenger conductors. .. $165
Passenger brakemen. $50
Freight conductors, by mile
age $1S5 to 500
Freight brallemen, by mile
age ........ .-.-...-..-..-. $50 10 $l20
Engineers, by mileage. $3.50 to $21O
Telegraph operators ........ SEQ to $125
These figures prove conclusively that
in free silver Mexico the wages of
railway employees are not only as high,
but actually higher, than in the United
States or in amy other country that
maintains a gold standard. AS to the
purchasing capacity of a days labor,
it is the same in Mexico as it is in all
countries. The purchasing capacity of
a dollar, in regard to perishalble COM
modities, in Mexico as in the United
States, is determined by the law of
supply and demand. In regard to 9TH
err articles of consumption, much de-
ponds ON the Investigation of indus
tries. For example, in an agricultural
country where the supply of farm pro-
ducts exceeds the local consumption
and the surplus is marketed abroad,
the price at home will be the foreign
price minus the cost Of transportation.
Under such conditions the purchasing
capacity of a dollar, in regard to these
commodities, is necessarily increased.
On the other hand, where the local
production is insufficient to supply To-
cal consumption, and it becomes neces-
sary to- import, the local price will be
the foreign price plus the cost of trans
portation, and the purchasing capac-
ity of the dollar will be corresponding
ly lessened. These are purely natural
conditions, and the disparity between
the purchasing capacity OF the dollar
under such circumstances is entirely
disassociated from the kind or quality
OF money in use among the people. 1t
is therefore illogical to attempt to
prove or disprove that that system or
this system of currency is beneficial
by comparing the prevailing wages
and prices of one country with those
of another, unless due allowance be
made for dissimilarity in regard to
soil, climate, population, diversified
ton of industries and other elements
which necessarily influence the wage
of labor and the value of agricultural
products. In determining the relative
influence of money over wages and the
price of farm commodities, the law of
supply and demand should not be over
looked any more in this than in in
stances heretofore mentioned. Ma
turally and logically results are oppo-
site as compared with results attained
by applying this same law to the sup
ply of products and labor. The result
is that where the supply of money is
a abundant wages are high, the pur-
chasing capacity of a days labor is
increased, and there is an advance in
the price of farm products consistent
with prevailing prices abroad. This
leaves no room for doubt as to the free
coinage of silver bene1ting both the
farmer and laborer, for free coinage
means currency sufficiently abundant
to meet all current needs and at the
same time stimulate every branch of
industry.