Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-08
afforded they have them. while he goes
stockinglcss in his sandals

ii If the monetary conditions of Mexfc,
are cruel to the laborer nature has beer
kind and bountiful. The misery ant
degradation to be noticed here woult
be many times worse only that the
| chief city OF the republic has 81 valley
OF extraordinary fertility to call upor
for many of its food products. Corr
may he scarce and beans high in price
| by failure of the crops, but In theii
| place are always to be found variety
Of vegetables. cheap and plentiful. rab-
| bits and fowl, eggs and milk, beef and
| mutton The tropic valley of Mexico
| would feed New York, Brooklyn, Chi
| cago, Philadelphia and st. Louis If de-
veloped by American farmers. Lettuce
| is worth its weight in silver in the
| states Of Chihuahua, Sonora and Goa
| hula. except in spots, but here it is
| not worth its weight in copper. Young
| onions are as plentiful as the sands of
| the sea. Tomatoes worth 10 cents a
pound in many sections of the republic
are not worth more than 30 cents a
bushel. The native chill is as abund-
ant as the Jersey mosquito, and melons
are drug in commerce. The cult
Hover grows with rare extravaganza
and peas can be had for the asking
fresh meat is cheap and all sorts of do
mystic fowl 1t Is well for the Mexico
city laborer or artisan that this is 50
for Otherwise his lot would be hard
Writers on Mexico have ascribed this
cheapness of food products to free sill
yer coinage, and not to the fertility Of
the sdil in this tropical zone and great
Valley and while, Of course. the actual
reasoh answers for itself, 1t is worth
asking how the farmer OF the United
StatoE would regard the low price Of
WanN food products in the city Of
MexHo as an argument in favor of
his 1bancial advancement.
TIL garden truck comes into the citv
-veyU morning on the backsof donkeys.
al|R burros. These donkcys come in
20 AM 20 miles s. 10 T. or Is in drove.
ittN|ied by two or three poems. If they
om1 from hacienda or looked after
In II rson if owned by any Of the few
INDEPENDENT Mexican farmers. The
SUPPLY from the Valley Of Mexico Is
much greater than the CONSUMPTION.
and 80 when crops are normal prices
reIvery low, and the copper pennies
p IN masses have big value owing to
~ railroad facilities a big supply Of
aItle from the plains is brought in. (
ga" .hT "''l aHd mutton IS poor, |
n P,ehtHHt' because al TINS point il !
4as only limited markets to seek The /
live stock comes from poor grazing (
ground, only the poorest land is used /
TT EFazlhAs the more fertile ground /
having its uses either for export pro I
luc's or cereals tor nome consumption /
tia 'hE Sal" TINS IHuch' an has been |
'a4A lha' laF"fS the condition Of the I
t.ah w" t"iIS u the City q Mexico /
mere Is Huch I" ne sald OF the condi- /
l"ilS lilat are AGAINST nm. ana which /
T" iiiS "'ii ecld'ed money count for
W ~ purchasing many necessaries
y Hie'
The trades worker. the laborer the
Jerk cannot live On certain vegetables
r on fruit which is also cheap in this
'eclion. Meat at from 10 TO Is cents a
pound, even If he cared much for it.
would make big hole in his modest
'arningS. lie must have flour corn
md beams. These last two are the staff
81 NE with the average Mexican. and
uTi"uSiy enough. are made costly al
mes by the climate and al times 10y
HiliiTe. Flour sells al cents a pound,
ma So iread IS luxury seldom in the
Mechanics home. Wheat is not
taple product. The soil is treacher0us .
of wheat production. but those who
aiSe Il are the hacienda proprietors.
wa" employ save labor and are Gov
Il"rS 81 'helr respective states or
Heli'"erS % congress
iheE nave tax or "A cents q
"uhd on American Hour and with @
united locaI production, they get a
Al&h price Inc wealthy only can
ave hfead rms tax on American
our d"eS not extend to the frontier
iHet" Is l-t2-mlle frontier line or
rec zone ana there American flour
an oe mad IN buying corn the work
nan suffers, no matter how fertile the
'"lIvN OF Mexico. The garden stuff
aHn"t DC transported throughout the
ePupiic. ana there IS only local mar
~ NdIue' Corn mas IT'S national value.
II II Is scarce IN Durango. Puehla or
NueNa Leon up II goes IN Mexico City.
mere may DC million bushels stored
We hac'ehdas OF the valley, but the
market at large makes the price, just
~ 'he world at large makes gold ana
'ilNSi values Torn IS now cents