Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-08-08
OLD MEXICO.
An Interesting Interview With Rev. J. G Hall, an American Missionary.
 On That Subject.

The Rev. J. G. Hall, brother of our esteemed ellow-townsman, pr. B. A. Hall, has been a visitor to the city for several days, and on last Sunday night occupied the pulpit of the First Presbyterian Church at which time the subject of his theme was sOld Mexico"
 The Rev. Mr Hall has been a Pres byterian Missionary in Mexico for the past eighteen years, and is there fore fully 'eonversant with everything pertaining to the civilization, pro- gress aud condition of the Mexicans
 Mr. Hall left yesterday, but during l his visit here the GRAPHIC reporter obtained his consent to an interview and in response to Il number of written questions the Rev Mr. Hall prepared the following, which can not fail to prove interesting to our readers:
 "N hat is the condition of the masses?''
 1 IlC HlCAiCdlSJ IdACIi dS u W are the poorest people that I have ever known. Of course there is a great deal of wealth in the country and great many wealthy people; 1 but the wealth is very unequally dis tributed. While the rich lige well, many of them luxuriously, and spend their money layishly, the masses live very poorly and are in very back ward condition in all those things that go to make life pleasant and comfortable. For this though, the conditions under which they have l lived so long, are, perhaps, more to blame than the people themselves. 1 The MeXicans are a polite. generons, and hospitable people; and I believe that twenty years hence, under fa- vorable conditions, their status, social, political and religious, will be very different from what it is now.
 We must remember that the Mexi- cans were oppressed for 250 years by Spain and the Church first, and con- tinued by the Church after the Span ish yoke was thrown off; that after gaining their independence from Spain the country was continually embroiled in civil and foreign wars until Winhin 8 very recent period. In these civil wars the masses of the people had no interest whatever, but were forced into them by the per sonal ambition of their leaders. l Under such conditions, there was lit- tie opportunity fer any kind of true delopment."
 What is the compensation for | labor?"
 "The ordinary day laborer gets from p cents to BYE cents per day. The servants on the Haciendas get from $3.50 to $4 per month and ration of corn. In the city of Vic toria, the capital of the State of Tamaulipas, where l lived just before left Mexico, a carpenter is paid 30 cents day; a stone mason from D cents to $l a day; 8 master mason, in charge of the building and director of all the workmen, from $1 50 to $1. .75 d day. All others who belong to the class of laborers are paid, more or less, in the same propor- tion."
 "What of the financial condition?"
 ssThe financial condition of the government is fairly good, if measured by the ability to borrow money in the markets of the world; and it has greatly improved in the last fifteen or twenty years. This is quite natural, for during that period the country has enjoyed almost un- l interrupted peace, railroads have been built all over the country, the mines have been Wokred, agricultur- al interests developed and commerce, both domestic and foreign, stimu- lated. This greater activity in all departments has of course had it's good effect, too. on the finances of the people as whole.
 "What of the progress of Mexico?"
 After what Ihave said in answer to your last question, of course l will answer this one in the affirma- tive. Looking back over a period of nearly eighteen years that I have lived among the Mexicans, 1 can see great progress. These evidences of progress, though as yet, are seen more in the people as whole than in the individual. This general ad- vancement has been somewhat checked during the last five or six years by a long continued drought that has prevailed throughout all I northern Mexico. But when 1 left Mexico, in June, prospects were good for an abundant harvest. Protest ant missions are established all