The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-10

Now Mr.. Crittenden is a. gold-bug and
it cannot be charged that he would say
anything very favorable TO a silver
standard country.
CRITTENDEN'S LETTER.
The letter which was written last
July runs as follows:
City OF Mexico, July Is.
Sir have yours in which you ask
the market value in Mexico OF certain
articles. Pork. from $1.S7 TO $3.50 an
arroba, equal tc % pounds; ham, IN
cured, from $500 to 1925 an arroba:
ham, cured. from so to so cents a
pound; breakfast bacon, so censs a
pound; beef, not choice parts, 10 cents
per pound; beef, choice parts, from 10
to 20 cents per pound; mutton, from
10 to Is cents per pound, abundance of
beef and mutton here IN Mexico
Wheat from So TO SO cargo, 800
pounds. 1 got excellent family hour at
So per hundred-MeXican flour. Corn
has ranged from $3.50 to S. a carga,
500 pounds. 1 think corn has risen in
price to 50 a, carga; and, as the crop is
quite short in many parts OF Mexico,
the price VIII continue 10 rise unless
the government removes the tax and
admits il free. Suffering is appre-
hended. in some parts OF Mexico in
consequence OF the failure of the usual
rains. Rye and oats are not raised
in Mexico TO any extent Sugar, re-
fined, cents per pound. Coffee, in
grain. from 80 TO So cents per pound.
When accustomed TO the Mexican cof-
fee I think il superior TO other coffee
purchased in the states.
These prices are Mexican currency,
with the exchange from $1.S5 to $780,
That is, 81 OF the United States gold,
paper CT silver. equaling S1.S5 or $1.9O
in Mexican silver or paper. The bulk
of imported articles are high; cost OF
transportation, duties, commissions and
exchange enter into the high prices,
as q rule JewelTy and shOp-made
clothing can be had here cheaper than
in the United States. Mexico is improv-
ing. 1t has a good government.
THOMAS T. CRITTENDEN.
Potatoes in Mexico sell for S5.4O per
bushel; corn, cents per pound; butter.
so cents to SIPS; eggs, 2 cents apiece all
over the country A horse cannot be
bought for less than $1O0.
Now before 1 leave the labor ques-
ton 1 want TO cite you the rate Of
wages paid skilled labOreTs and ne
chanics. The railroads are all run by
Americans. 1t has been said that con-
ductors receive but SIS per month. This
is not so. There is not @ single con-
ductor employed in Mexico who receives
less than $3.50 per month. Engineers
are paid $3.50 per month and upwards.
while la-borers and mechanics in shops
receive from $3.50 to Sc per day.
FREE SILVER.
what has been the effect OF free sill
yer in MeXico?" was asked.
Free silver has made Mexico the
most prosperous country on EARTH
was Mr.. Winters prompt reply.
Nov this may seem a bold declara.-
ton under the existing price of silver,
but it is nevertheless true. Everything
/ in Mexico is bought on a silver basis.
Americans can not compete in her mar
kets and accept silver in exchange. On
the other hand when Mexico sells any
thing she receives gold. One dollar in
gold is worth $1.90 in Mexican silver
and this is how the balance Of trade is
always in favor Of the Mexican pro-
Queer.
Many people believe that Mexico
wants the United States to adopt free
silver. This is an error. She would
rather see this country on a gold stand
ard for the reason that free coinage
Of silver in this country means that
Mexican dollars will be accepted at par
and American producers can then enter
into competition in her markets. Moth
ing is now bought from the United
States by the Mexicans excepting farm
machinery and the money is thus prac-
tical1y kept at home"
Mr.. Winters. during his stay in our
southern republic. became SO interest
ed in the country that he invested
heavily in cotton plantations. He owns
! something like 1900 acres of excellent
/ land on The shores of Lake Catemaco
/ in the state of Vera. Cruz. He expects
to remain in this city until after the
election, when he will probably head a.
party of prominent tourists for a. win
ter's sojourn in the land of free silver
and prosperity.