Prosperity In Belgium

To the Editor of The Regbtkb : Sib:- In a recent issue, the Argus called the attention of itó readers to Belgium 88 a nation thriving and prospering gince 1855 under "a tariff for revenue only," an,l thought the United States couid profit by following in that country's footteps in this regard. This good advice (?) led me to investígate history a little, and the result I tender the Argus, as fit food for reflection. By referring to the consular report for 1884 I find that there were then 17,000 women and girU eraployed in Belgium mines at 30 to 37 cents per day. Seventyfive per cent. of the farm labor there is performed by women, at the magnifioent wages of 17 centü per day. The consul aays: "Oo many farms in Belgium on gees no other than women labor. O;i the canals and rivers one frequently sees a woman harneesed to a canal bont, pulline; wiih all her might. ♦ Out of a total nnmber of laborera enoployed in the mines in thiu consular district of U3.5C9. ot;ly 10,000 were men ; the remainder were womea and boys and girls under the ages of fifieen years. Women in delicate conditiüü are freqiiently seen working in mines, bandling iron, loading cars with cosí, etc. I am told that women have frequently given birth to children while thus emploed." And this is the prosperity, happines, thrilt 1 1 Brick Uyera' wages average $5 per week ; weavero, $5 and $6; spinners, $2.28 ; coal miuers, 83 cents per day; lartn hunda, 23 cenU per day. Pnces of fod as follows: Bacon, 20 cents; beef, 20 cento ; bütter, 32 oents; efw, 21 cents ; purk, 20 cents ; potatoes, $180 per busbel; migar, 11 ceius; and so on. Comparing tbe wsges and coat of food in Belgium with the wages and cost of food in ihia awful country under our " iniquitoua" protective tariff, I hope the ArguB will point out where the "prosperity " comes in, and if it really has a country under low duties that is any betteroff than Uncle Sam's domain and the inhabitants thereof, why trot it out It will be a curiosity to the reading world. Belgium, as a proof of the would-be wisdom ot President Cleveland and tree traders in aeneial, is certKiiily a tailure. Birkett, Mich.