Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-15
SOUTH AMERICA.

/ Those of the English speaking race who
think of leaving their native land for
these shores, writes United States Consul
Swain from Montevideo, should note the
condition of other people who have gone
to a country where the language is diff
ferent from their native tongue, and then
reflect that they would be situated there
pretty much as a Spaniard, for instance,
who landed IN American or British soil
and was ignorant of English. They should
bear in mine that the language of this
country is Spanish: that the people are
in a great measure of the Spanish race,
and nave it's customs and characteristics;
that while there is complete religious lib
erty, the Catholic church is that of the
state. They should also reflect that the
social observances of the country are diff
ferent from those of the English-speak-
ing races. Coming to particulars, 1t may
be stated hat no mechanic who is not an
expert or a specialist in certain occupa-
lions should come here hoping to better
his condition, for the very simple reason
that the country is already oVerrun by
Workmen from southern Europe, who are
content to work for lower wages than II
British or American mechanic would care
to accept. Italy can easily outbid Amer
lea or Britain in most departments Of Ia
Dor: and. as Il matter of fact. the opera
tives and manufacturers here are either
Italians or Frenchmen. principally the
Former. This remark applies to all Varie-
ties of mechanical abor, with the eXcep-
ton of sepcialties. such as electrical en-
cheering: but in this field there is al
ready a congestion in this republic. We
| would strongly advise English and Amer
lean mechanics not to think of coming
here to improve their condition. The
same advice applies to manufacturers of
all sorts. Not only is there a full supply,
but the market is overstocked with pro-
ducts of native manufacture, for the most
part of a very inferior kind.
With regard to agriculture, our dis
couraging advice would be emphasized.
The farmer here is the Italian or the
Basque, who can live in a manner to
which Erglish-speaking people are not
accustomed, and will work for wages
which these would consider sufficient only
to escape starvation. At the moment we
write there are hundreds of men now
seeking employment who would be glad
to work for 81 a day of the money of this
country (Which is equal to about 80 cents
American currency and board them
selves; and this in face of the fact that
the cost of living is greater here than in
New York or London. Those who have
capital to lend on mortgage or who can
invest in real estate can safely get twice
as much interest or income as in England
or America. THOSE VINO nave a small
capital, say $4,000 or SIC, 900, and are
ready to go to the frontier to live a rough
life for years, where they will never hear
their native tongue, where they will GER
tainly suffer from inconsistencies, where
the conditions of life to English people
are nearly unbearable-such persons in
the course of time will come out with
more dollars, if they come out at all,
than they would amass at home. The
climate in this country is magnificent; no
place in the world can surpass it in that
respect. 1t is essentially a white mans
climate. Stock grave in the open all VIM
ter, even in the coolest localities. The
country has a great future, but no man
in his senses would take the RESPONSE
bility of advising English people to i'm
migrate or to come except with capital,
as Ne have already stated. True, many
have come individually and lave done
we'll, but every attempt to establish a col
ony of English-speaking people has
proved a miserable failure.