The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-30
MEXICO IS PROSPEROUS
The Demonstration of Silver in
This Country Caused It.
MAKING GREAT PROGRESS
An Interview With j. NJ. Bell. Formerly
OF Butte and Now OF Monterey.
Mexico sympathy for
Spain Suppressed.

d. VI. f1tli. ltl nifltN VI bhAAfs ~
now a resident and mining man of
Monterey. Mexico. was in The city yes
terday. Mr.. Bell is visiting the United
states i'm the interests OF the Santa
Ana dining company of Arizona for the
purpose of inspecting different gold
dredging machines. as the Arizona COM
pany intends to put In a large number
on the Colorado river. lie has already
examined machines of different manu-
facture in use al Placer and Brecken-
ridge. Colo. and AT Bannack. Mont,
and to-day he will leave for Avon to
examine the steam shovels and dry
dredges i'm use there. Mr.. Bell LETT
Butte i'm 1890. and since then he has
been engaged in mining at Monterey.
He is very enthusiastic oVer the ~apid
material progress the country of Mex
leo is making.
The improvements during the past
eight and nine years have been mar
~velous,' he said. The entire country
is s%pringing forward like "A Western
mining camp. Eight years ago they
had practically nothing I'm h "A Of
manufactures and now they are making
almost everything. They are building
locomotives and even making bicycles.
They manufacture as good quartz mills
as can he made i'm the United states.
They manufacture cotton goods for eN-
port To the Central American states.
and their woolens for suitings are SUI
perior tn the United states manufac-
ture. All this has been brought about
i'm a few years. There is nothing origi
nal or inventive in the Mexican. but
they send To the United States for
skilled labor and are too quick On.
Americans go down there and cstah-
lish a manufacturing plant, and as
soon as the MeXicans learn the bust
ness they sell out at any price. In
manufacture and mining Mexico is
%springing right to the front, but all en-
terprises are somewhat Handicapped by
the lack OF lahorprs. Labor is So cheap
that American laborers are kept out
and Mexican laborers work only enough
tn keep themselves alive. Common la
borers work II hours for 80 cents. and
miners in Northern Mexico get - cents
for 10 hours. and I'm Central Mexico 80
cents. Several states have laws egu
latinG the price of labor. and il IS un-
lawful to- raise wages above the price
fixed. Recently the government of san
Luis Potosi was petitioned by a numhe
of mine owners for permission to raise
the wages of their miners, who were
working II hours for 30 cents. as there
was a great deal of dissatisfaction
among them.
There is at present quite a great
deal of agitation going on i'm other
states to fix a scale of wages. MIXERS
prefer 70 work by contract or task
/ under which they will drill on an aver
age about eight feet six inches Ia the
shift. In Butte, I believe. the average
is about nine feet. SO while the Mexican
Ices almost as much work as the Butte
miner, he does il for about ~ cents"
Mr.. BELL said the present wonderful
prosperity Of Mexico was due 10 the
decentralization of silver i'm the United
States, and if this country should re-
turn To the coinage Of silver IL would
ruin Mexico.
Money is cheap in Mexico, and that
creates investment" he said. Every
thing Is created by deprecated silver
money. and everything that Is exported
is sold for gold. So that really the lower
the price of silver goes the better il is
for the miners. except when il comes
to paying dividends. The high ex-
change on money practically prohibits
imports from the United States and
compels Mexico To manufacture for it
self.
THE benefits to the country are APP
parent. | can operate n mine I'm Mex
leo 40 per cent cheaper "A | can in
the United States. and the profits are
greater and more clear money is made.
II has been only within the past few
years that any considerable mining has
been lone in copper. but Mexico viii
soon produce rs much copper annually
as the United states. Both conper and
gold products this year win he about
$40. 900. 600 and that figure will he
doubled next year. Several large con-
per works have been erected by the
French syndicate which recently pur-
chased the big copper properties in
Michoacan. and other concerns are
erecting plants in every part Of the
mining country
Mr.. Bell said there was n great deal
7 Of interest manifested in Mexico in the
Spanish-American war. MeXicans gem
erally svmpathiZe with the United
states. hut the S~paUiards. Of whom
there are about n million In Mexico.
are very bitter against this country,
and were at first inclined to stir up a
popular feeling against the United
States. President DiaZ. however,
headed them off by issuing instructions
To all governors OF states 10 prevent
agitation of the subject and avoid all
talk or demonstrations. The result is
that the Spaniards in Mexico hav not
much to say. When the Tenort or the
blowing up Of the Maine and the muir
/ der Of the soldiers and marines reached
Monterey. the Spaniards gathered I'm a
swell club and celebrated the event
with n champagne drunk. and when thu
government heard Of II efforts We're
/ made to suppress the facts. and after
that the Spaniards disguised their ex-
/ ultations somewhat.