Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-11

OF them are loaded with debt,
and the foreign obligations Of the nation
now amount 10 more than 500 for every
family IN the republic The internal debt
is over s9sooo.ooo and the chilean dollar
is 30 per cent below par. Business IL not
good and at the same time the cost OF
living has jumped out OF sight Beef,
which has always been cheap has risen
until some cuts now sell for 30 cents and
more pound, and bread. milk vegetables
and fruits are higher than they have
ever been In the past. House rents are
rising Here in Santiago ordinary dwell
ings are bringing from $40 20 500 a month
and nearly every one ie denouncing the
greed Of his landlord.
The most OF the common people live In
what we would call two-fsmly houses
The buildings are low on account OF the
earthquakes and many Of them have only
two floors. The first story apartments
bring the most money. as from such
apartments one Can get out the quicker.
There are no big flat buildings here. The
highest houses have only four or five
stories and skyscrapers are yet TO be
built
The very poor live in what are called
cites These are little tenements OF one
story built in blocks Each tenement has
two rooms. one az the front and the other
at the hack. The only window lie at the
front There are no heating or bathing
arrangements, and the water has TO be
carried In from outside Such an apart
ment viii rent for from s 20 81 per
month. and ~ Il is in q good location and
Of a little better construction u may
bring SIS or SO Many such buildings are
owned by the church, and others by rich
ChIienos, who get most OF their incomes
from these rents. The capitalists like
these small houses because the rent IL
always paid In advance. and the interest
on the investment is high. The church ia
one OF the great real estate owners Of
Santiago. Ii has all kinds OF property.
from tenements 10 palaces, and from In
dividual stores to great business blocks,
A large part OF the property on the Plaza
des Armas in the very heart Of Santiago.
belongs 20 It. and It owns buildings OF all
kinds scattered here and there through
the city.
Labor Prices Rising.
The prices OF labor In Chile are rising,
but they are still far below those OF the
United States. The average salary OF a
clerk in a store In equal to from so 10
go OF our money Bookkeepers get about
SEQ a month. stenographers $40 or $50. and
II they are foreigners they may receive
az high as 500. In this case they must DO
able 20 speak and write Spanish. and also
be expert with the typewriter and in
reading their notes.
In this connection. ] would say that
there Is no chance here-for young Amer
leans without money who have no special
experience or skill Of one kind or another.
IL they are mechanical or mining engin.
GERS. or experts IN farming or fruit rails
Ing, there may be some openings; but for
pure brains and pure muscle the country
has an ample supply OF Its own. and that
At wages which would not be tempting 10
the American.
As II f. now. the native labor supply
OF Chile IL being largely increased by the
employment OF women. They are making
their way into the government offices.
They cierk in tho postofficcs. they act
Aa cashiers IN the mercantile establish
nents, and they sell goods to the large
department stores that have recently
been established In Santiago. In the lat
ter places female clerks are paid salaries
OF so month with q commission on their
sales, which In some cases runs the sal-
cry TO rs high as 500 per month. The
,lief objection 70 such positions IL that
Tho holder loses caste among her friends
BY taking than. Women have been 20
secluded in Chile that the people have
not yet become accustomed TO their hight
ing the battle OF life for themselves. >Nice
girls never 90 out alone In the evenings.
and even In the daytime those OF the
better CLASSES are seldom seen on the
street without some older woman 10 with
them When q young girl gees 70 school
she 10 usually accompanied by q servant
81 by her father or mother. and some
ane is aent to bring her back home. The
positions ef secretary and cashier rank
higher than those OF the clerks. but most
classes Of the people look askanee at the
siri who works for living
wsrl<ias Girls rot Extra safe.
doubt whether the young business
: woman 10 az safe IN Chile as she Is in
our country. The fact that she works
out at all subjects her 10 the danger OF
liberties on the part of the other sex.
The white slave trade exists TO an even
greater extent than in the United States.
and ] am told that there IL q large class
Of girls who are by no means a. good as
they should be. The social evil is H.
eensed in the cities. and everything lie
supposed to be under rigid inspection.
The spanish custom of preventing the
boys and girls from having anything to
do with one another on the social level
Of purity and virtue drives the young
men 20 the dsmi-monde for their social
companions. and Il defeats the end is
hopes 10 gain.
Moreover. II young man calls upon a
young woman a half q dozen times. and
spends the evening with her IN the pres
enoe Of the family, he is thought 70 have
serious intentions Of marriage. and the
father, uncle or aunt straightway de-
mands how soon he expects to propose. II
he then says that he does not want 20 get
married he is told that his further visits
are not desired. The bear act. which
means the standing out on the streets "a
front OF your sweetheart's house and
casting sheeps-eyes at her as she looks
down from the balcony, Is fast going ont
Of use. although IL &c still the custom IN
some other OF the Latin-American eoun-
tries. and notably In Mexico and Central
America. Nevertheless. IN the artstocratic
class family would have 20 be in finan.
clal straits before II would think OF al.
lowing It's daughter 20 clerk In store.