The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-04

derstood his action in the James case,
and his appointment to the Consul Gen
eralship under Mr.. Cleveland's second
administration was a tardy recogni-
ton Of his remarkable qualities.
Mexico City, Sept. 4; 1896.
w. r. Hearst, The Journal;
Your request for information as to
| the condition of commercial, industrial
and social affairs in Mexico is similar
to many other inquiries from citizens
| of the United States which / receive in
my capacity of Consul General. 1t is
| impossible to institute a comparison
| between the people of the United States
and those of this country. Any such
attempt would be futile. They are
wholly different in habits of thought
| and in mode of life. Their ambitions
are diverse and their education and
tendencies are dissimilar. There is
no common plane of comparison.
Mexico must be measured by Mexican
standards. Erroneous conclusions
would be reached were we to apply the
| English, French, German or American
| system of comparison. Viewed from
any standpoint, the country has made
marvellous strides in the last ten years.
| It's growth in commercial, industrial
and educational directions cannot be
realized by one unacquainted with the
| former conditions. From being ma
| ton that depended largely on outside
| sources for supplies, it has risen to a
| point where its exports are in the
neighborhood of three times it's imports.
| The balance of trade last year was in
round numbers, nearly $60,000,00 gold
IN n ind
have strengthened and improved; new
ones have been established. Where
occasional parochial schools existed n
public educational system has been es-
| tablished, and now no hamlet in the
Republic is without a free school, con-
Quoted under government supervision.
| The attendance of the pupils is COM
| pulsory under the statute, and it. is
provided that when children between
certain ages are employed in factory
or in any industry, the employer must
guarantee the attendance of such chill
| dren upon some regularly established
| school.
| The banditti, who made travelling in
| Mexico an undertaking fraught with
| considerable danger, have wholly dis
| appeared. One may travel from the
| Rio Grande to the southern border
| without an escort, without weapon
| and entirely without danger to life
| and property. The former brigands
| are now members of the 'rurales," one
| of the finest bodies of cavalry in the
| world, or have become charcoal
| burners.
/ CAUSES OF IMPROVEMENT.
Whether this great improvement in
| Mexican economical and social condi-
tons is to be attributed to the stable
| government established and main
tanned by President Diaz, to the open
ing up of the country by railways
| of which nearly all the 1000 miles in
| operation have been constructed with
in the last fifteen years; the invest
| ment of foreign capital or whether il
! is due to the currency system based
on silver, as many assert, are ques
| tions which / do not feel qualified
to pass upon dogmatically. AS a
matter of fact, many things have con
| tributed to the present condition Oh
| prosperity. The system of coinage
| upon which you ask information was
established by an act passed in 1867
| modifying the old law. The standard
| of value is silver and the unit is the
| dollar. The legal weight of the dollar
is 407 $40 grains Troy, 902,777 fine
| and cor tains there, 377 $40 grains fine
silver; it is worth in gold, with silver
| bullion at the existing price, So cents
| My inquiries show that there has beer
| practically no increase in the prices
of provisions, clothing or agriculture
| produce or articles of domestic manu-
facture by reason of the fall in the
price of silver. The only increase Of
| price noted is in imported merchan
| disc, to the cost of which the exchange
and duty are added. Meats are, perhaps
the only articles of food which have
been enhanced in cost. This is attribu
ted to the fact that higher wages cause
by improved Industrial conditions have
enabled the people to buy more meat
and thus increased the demand, an6
consequently the cost. The existence
of small meat trust also contributes
to a higher price. This price is still
further added to by the heavy specia
assessments or license fee levied upoT
the butchers shops in this city, since
the abolition of the old 'A1cabalas'
taxes, under which system of taxation
all goods, wares, merchandise, vege
| tables and farm products, however
small, brought into this market, were
taxed at the "Garitas" or gates of this
| Federal district.
The depreciation i'm silver values
and THE increase in price of foreign
articles have had the effect of reduc
| ing importations, and greatly stimu.
| lating and strengthening domestic
| manufacturers. Reviewing the com.
merce of five years, these facts are
| shown: In 1890 the imports amounted
| 10 $52,018,658, and the exports to $685.
| 276, 1916; in 1895 goods to the value OF
$4,000, 440 were brought into the coun-
| try and $90,854,953 sent out.
| LABORERS AND THEIR WAGES.
The wages paid laborers and arti-
sans are largely improved. Formerly
workmen, particularly agricultural
laborers, were paid in kind" now they
are paid in money. In the case OF
| farm laborers, it is the custom of the
country for the employer, in addition
to the regular wages, to allow the la
borer the use of a certain acreage
to raise his own food. In many a the