Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-01
rs OF CHILE AND HOW THEY ARE MANAGED.

tenant houses of concrete and on some
others of the haciendas they are put
ting up what are called model houses.
l am told that the inquilinos are con-
tented with their lot. They seldom
strike, and seem satisfied if they can
get enough to eat and wear and plenty
to drink. One of the great evils of the
country is alcoholism. Nearly every
one of the lower classes Is addicted to
it. and this is SO in both city and coun-
try. A census of saloons of Santiago
was recently taken and it was found to
have 5000 places where liquor was sold,
while Valparaiso was reported to have
more cases of drunkenness than Eng
lish cities of ten times its size.
It is this custom of drinking added TO
insanitary conditions of living that Is
responsible for the great mortality of
Chile. The death rate is enormous. and
that among children is SO high that 7
fear to quote the figures which have
been given. Dead babies are called lit
tie angels and are supposed to go
straight to heaven. but no one supposes
that this has anything to do with the
deaths. 1t is said that SIS per cent OF
the children of Santiago die before they
are five years of age, but do not be-
lieve this to be true.
There is one institution in Chile now
that promises to bring about change
in the conditions of the inQuilinos. This
Is the army, and the law provides
that every man in the country shall
spend at least one year of his life in
the service. This year is at about nine
teen or twenty. All of the boys are
drafted, and no matter whether they
are of the working class or not they
have to spend this one year as a soldier.
:.
1t is somewhat owing to these
changes that modern labor element
is developing In Chile. There have re-
Gently been several strikes on the state
railways; the hands upon the wharves
have their unions and are. I am told,
growing very independent. These men
in the nitrate ports struck the other
day because they were not allowed to
use graphing hooks to handle the
heavy bags. They had seen such hooks
used for dragging about cotton bales.
and they found it easier to move the
nitrate the same way. The hooks make
holes in the bags and for this reason
the exporters of the nitrate object
A similar unrest among the laborine
element is going on all along the west
coast of South America. Peru has
been sending agitators to Chile. and
Chile has sent labor delegations to dis
cuss such matters in the cities of Peru.
moreover, some of the politicians Of
the several republics are catering to
the laboring element. and among the
Iatter Is the former president Of Peru.
When Billinghurst was president, he
boosted that he was the friend Of the
workingman. and did everything he
could to get their friendship and sup
port. At one time he sent a command
to the head of the Peruvian corpora
ton which manages the Central rail.
way that he must at once raise the
wages of all his employees Is per cent.
The official replied that this could not
be done. Billinghurst insisted. where
upon he was shown that such ap in
crease would stop the running OF the
road. for the receipts would not leave
enough for the interest on their bonds
after running expenses were paid. He
also showed President Billinghurst
what an outcry would come from the
people II the trains should have to
stop. The president then saw that he
would lose more than he would gain
by such a proceeding. and the matter
was dropped. 1t was number of such
actions that brought about the revolu.
ton that ended in his being ousted
from office. -
FRANK G. CARPENTER.