Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-01
NICARAGUA.
.VIu-LABOR CONDITIONS.
BY Frederic J.Haskin.

Labor conditions in Nicaragua are dis
tnctly unfavorable to any great develop
ment of the country for many years. The
Nicaraguan asks: What is the use to
work so much when all ones wants are
idleness as by toil?' Aside from the por-
ton of the population which lives In the
cities. the wants Of the mass IS are few
and of an easily met variety. In things
to eat the banana, the plantain tree and
the game of the jungle supply all that is
needful beyond the products of the little
half-tilled garden patch, in which arc pro-
duced corn and beans, some sugar cane
and a few other things. Such fruits as the
alligator pear are decidedly meaty and
oily. and when the native gets out of
game meat he falls back on these
Then there is the housing problem.
borrowing little patch of ground, the
native takes his machete and builds his
matched hut. and no kings palace ever
met the needs or desires OF its occupant
better than tho Nicaraguan hut meets those
OF it's owner. When he builds. the land is
his almost for the asking. and no such
problems as architects plans, building
material, carpentering and plastering ever
rise to meet him. He builds his own
house without assistance except from his
own family. He never needs to patronize
furniture store or house-fulnishing
establishment
In the matter of clothing he is Just
about as independent. He and his family
need only such things to wear as to meet
the demands of decency, and the Nicara-
guam standards are certainly not affected
by prudery. AS these few clothes are
seldom washed. they last long time. In
this way the Nicaraguan practically does
what we are told man cannot do-live to
himself alone. The Nicaraguan average
citizen may lack what civilized people
call the creature comforts, but he is GER
tainly good specimen of the Independent
man.
The upshot of the whole matter is that
the Nicaraguan laborer has little need for
money. What lit
His Need Demands tie he does need
But Little Money. WORKING r two or
three days a week. and consequently he
is an unreliable laborer. For the most
part the. wages paid are but a pittance,
according to American standards.
The continuous performance of revolu-
tons in Nicaragua has served to upset
the labor market of the republic in va
rious ways So many of the able bodied
men OF the republic have been killed and
crippled that there is a dearth of work
ers. Those who have survived. once they
have tasted of military life, are often
not content to go back to work after
their term of service is over. Others
stand in perpetual dread of being forced
into the army and leave of their work
the minute any government agent comes
around.
Drunkenness is quite common among
the native laborers. A sort of brandy Is
made out of sugar cane. AS soon as Sat
urday comes the labOrer begins to drink
unrestrainediy of this cheap intoxicant
and the best of them will not be sober
enough, as usual thing, to get back to
work before Tuesday
Another element which tends to make
native labor dissatisfied with its lot is the
constant fiuctuation of the currency.
caused by the unstable condition of the
country and the probability that the cur
| rency will not be worth more than the
paper 1t is printed on. People who en-
| gage in business and have things to sell
| invariably make their prices in gold.
When the rate Of exchange goes up II
simply takes more paper dollars to buy
| a given article. On the other hand, except
in rare instances. wages are paid on a
! paper basis. and a days work may pur-