Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-12-02
WHAT MFXlC0 NEEnS.
Opinions by Some OF the Leading Busi.
ness Men OF Mexico,
Regarding the Needs OF Mexico. Socially
Morally, Commercially. Ne.-B Broad
Views on Different Subjects.


To the Editor OF the Ledger.
MExICo, Mo-, Dec. I.-Regarding
Mexico's prosperity, our wants may
be many; but cannot we iiud causes
for the present condition of our city
rather in ourselves than by continu-
ing to believe in a change for the
better only to through vision
airy desires for outside aid?
Fancy the effect if the citizens Of
Mexico were, one and all, to indicate
q desire of patronage only for Mexi-
co productions where it was possible
to obtain them. The history of every
attempted change Of raw material in
to the product of commerce has, in
this city, been a record of want of
home patronage. The complaints
have been too unanimous to be an
tirely unjust. To-day we hear the
boast that, by purchasing a large lot
of a certain manufactured article, it
is to be sold at very low figures and
every one seems pleased that several
hundred wagons L being sold IN
Mexico at attractive prices. Had an
order for four hundred wagons been
received by our Mexico workmen
they could have been produced al
equally low prices, while the cost o
manufacturing would have been dis
tributed among Is.
True, cur cigar mandatory has
an encouraging trade at home, but
other industries have the opposite
experience. The wooden mill and
also the broom factory trade was
better abroad. Mexico packing house
cured meats were necessarily shipped
on the st. Louis market on account
of our home dealers shipping in the
product of other packing houses.
Are our printing offices, ~tailors, boot
and shoe manufacturers, &c, as well
patronized as they should be? An
honest desire on the part of the retail
dealers to sell on close margin would
always be met by concessions from
the manufacturers in our midst. Yet
the dealers are but partially to blame.
If the masses but indicated a prefer.
ence for home productions theil
wishes would receive speedy atten.
ton from those interested in serving
them. Complaints are made that toe
many Of our residents only look for.
ward to realizing ten per cent. inter
est On approved security. Well, is
it not q good thing to have among us
those who have money to loan? Why
do not the discontinued borrow some
of this money and make it more
active through the manufactures We
cry for, then cheerfully pay theil
nelghbors the ten per cent. due then
and pocket the surplus with the adj
ditional satisfaction of helping oul
city along on the road to prosperity
Mexico should issue sufficient bono
at low rates of interest to buy ou'
the Water-works Company. Their
run the water-works for all they ar
worth; make it a source of revenue
instead of drain of thirty-six hun
dred dollars per year. We will thel
be IN condition to offer cheap waite
as an inducement to the so much de
sired G.. 81. A. machine shops, or t,
to any manufacturing company tina
can be persuaded to come among us
Let US patronize our present electric
light system. The city has it il
power to assist an enterprise of on,
of its citlzers and at the same tim,
reap full benefit from it patronage
With an earnest effort to work on
our future on the plans 1 have sug
gested, many of your predictions o
''ten years hence will be in half th,
time verified. r. HIsEY.