Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-01-06
PRICES COMPARED.
VALUES IN MEXICO AND IN
THE UNITED STATES.
Wages In Mexico Lower Than In This
Country while Commodities Are Higher
Poor Place for the workiogman-
Oniciai Figures Show tho Conditions.
washington letter.

called upon by his friends to undertake
certain trifing missions, sometimes of
a personal and sometimes of business
densome when they come from mum
bers of people. Mr.. Bryan is liable to
find this featureof his Mexican trip q
somewhat embarrassing one, judging
from developments which have just
come Il surface here. A distinguished
labor leader, who has been in the city
this week, has just written Mr.. Bryan
calling his attention to a series OF
statements regarding wages and prices
in Mexico which We're placed before
the public a few months & by a
commission representing prominent H.
Dor organizations in the United States.
These statements made such an IN
favorable showing of the condition
OF labor in Mexico. now the mos
prominent free silver country in the
world, as compared with that existing
in the United States. that the friends
Of labor, whether organized or other
wise, are inclined to call upon Mr..
Bryan, who makes special claim as
the friend of labor, to take up the facts
set forth in the statements in question
and give to the workingmen of the
United States, upon his return. any in
formation or explanation which he
may be able to present bearing upon
the subject.
While a number Of statements upon
this subject have been presented TO
the public during the discussion of the
currency question since the beginning
of the campaign of 1896, the one 20
which MIR. Bryan's attention has been
especially directed is that Of a con-
mission sent to Mexico by the Traie
and Labor Assembly Of Chicago in
August OF last year. This commission
was made up of men selected from both
parties of whose standing in labor and
business circles was such as TO place
their report beyond question both as
to accuracy and freedom from prejl-
dice.
The members of the commission
were Paul j. Mass. a Free Silver Re-
publican. general organizer of the
American Federation of Labor, also r.
ganizer of the seventh district of the
International Typographical Union and
well known in labor circles, and Pa
trick Enright, a Sound Money Demo-
cTat, a member of the executive board
Of the Iron Moulders' Union OF North
America, and a veteran in the histo "
of labor organizations in this country.
This commission was appointed early
in August, and left at once for Mex
leo, but made their examination so ex
tended and thorough that their report
was not presented until Oct. II. lie
evident fairness and unprecedented
character of the report and the conf
dence in the accuracy and reliability
of its statements was SO great that the
Trade and Labor Assembly, after iGs
presentation, adopted it by but two dis
senting votes and made it a part of its
permanent record. The figures from
this permanent official record have
been forwarded to Mr.. Bryan with the
request indicated above.
The document which Mr.. Bryan has
been requested to consider. compare
with conditions as he finds them, and
report upon to the w~orkingmen of the
United States, is a long one-too long
for reproduction in full in these coll
umns. A few of the mere important
statements and figures, however. re-
lating to comparative prices Of labor
in Mexico and the United States and
to comparative prices of the articles
which workingmen must buy with the
results of their labor. are given here
with. They are of especial interest be-
cause it is TO these that Mr.. Bryan's
attention has been especially called.
The report, after stating that the
conditions of the w~orkingmen of Mex
leo lin no time in their history have
been more deplorable." calls especial
attention to the fact that the principal
inducement offered capital to invest in
Mexico is the cheap labor to be found
and no danger of strikes or their con-
sequent evils to the investor. The re-
port adds: This is one of the strong
est points advanced in soliciting in
vestments for Mexico. which state
ments We have cleaned from native
newspapers and literature sent broad
cast to the world. To this We respect
fully call the attention of the working
men, as il gives a true status of the
condition of labor as it exists in our
sister republic, where, in that country,
the only thing that the toiler has TO
offer to maintain his existence-his
labor-is the cheapest commodity in
the country. To take advantage of
this, the foreigner Is invited to enter
and take, and. with unbridled sway,
enrich himself On the general misery
of the toilers. The Ameri-
can workingman is a prince compared
to the workingman Of Mexico"
The following figures taken from
the report compare wages in the City
of Mexico with these paid in Chicago;
also q comparison of the prices paid
for articles of food. clothing and other
necessary articles of existence in the
two cities in question. twenty differ
ent occupations and twenty classes ~
49, --l .l-&h;.- ba;u1 oolankol ~. -