Arizona daily citizen., 1901-10-22
A LESSON FROM MEXICO.


in many of the attributes that go to
elevate and develop national life, is
still capable of giving our Govern
ment and people a practical demon
stration of an effective method of
dealing with trusts and corners.
President Diaz has suspended the
duty on corn imported into Mexico
for the period of three months, that
is, from October / to December 81,
and also has exempted such i'm
ports from the payment of the in
tcrnal revenue tax OF seven per cent.
During the same time the duty on
wheat has been reduced to one cent
per kilogram gross weight, which
is equivalent to twenty-five cents a
bushel. The reason which has
moved the President of Mexico to
take this action is set forth i'll the
decree as a desire ito alleviate the
situation of the needy classes that
suffer the consequence OF the high
price of corn and wheat now pre-
vailing in the national markets.
III promulgating this degree the
Secretary of the Treasury and Pub
lie Credit declares that as result
of an investigation it is found that
there exists III Mexico a sufficient
quantity of fgrain to satisfy the most
urgent needs of consumption. 1t is
therefore not the scarcity of bread.
stuffs that has increased the price
of grain, but the action of the pro-
ducers, who are withholding their
crops from the market in order to
obtain exorbitant profits.
n other words, there is what is
known among us as corner III
grain and the people are suffering
for bread. Along the seacoast and
the frontiers it is believed that the
exemption from tariff duty will meet
the case. But in the interior freight
rates are so high that the cost Of
imported grain would still be too
great to afford relief to the poor. To
meet this situation the Secretary OF
the Treasury has asked Congress to
authorize the purchase of corn by
the Government and its sale to the
people at or below cost. 1t is pro-
posed to exercise this power when
ever the price of corn shall exceed
S. per hectoliter, price equivalent
to about $40 a bushel Mexican
money, or about eighty cents in
gold This is about the present
price on the frontier
This is spirited way to meet
a corner, and indicates that the
tariff is recognized as the moth
er of trusts in Mexico as we'll as in
the United States. In asking for
authority to sell corn the Secretary
of the Treasury intimates that he
does not believe that it will be he
Cessary to exercise the power he
asks for because when they see it
impending "the raisers of national
corn may adopt with greater har-
mony All attitude less tyrannous.
Let us imagine our Government
taking similar action to that taken
by our Southern neighbor. The
administration that would attempt
it would be accused by the money
barons and their organs of conhsca-
ton. The party that would sus-
tain such policy would be de-
nounced as communistic, anarchis-
tic and traitorous.
Nowhere in the world is the rob-
berry of the many by the few toler-
ated SO quietly as in the United
States. The great mass of the peo-
pie see themselves robbed by the
trusts and the tariff barons and the
great carrying corporations every
hour of every day in the year, yet
while the people have the undoubt-
ed power to stop it they permit it
to 60 on.
1t is a pity that we haven't some
Of the spirit of Mexico i'll this coun
try. Here the people would be
permitted to starve, or to survive
on charity, before the sacred right
Of q trust to rob or corner to ex-
tort, would be interfered with by
the Government.