The sun., 1903-09-02
DEGENERATION or MEXICO.
Rapid Progress-Ths City or MeNsco BE-
coming q Notable Metropolis.

Rapid rrogress-Ths City or Mexico Re-
coming q Notable Metropolis.
To THE EDITOR OF The SpN-Sir! One
of the most significant facts in the expert
ence Of the Mexico Of to-day is the we'll
defined increase in the wants of her people.
An increase in wants is a stimulus to effort
to crafty them.
Under the old system, which still obtains
to a lamentable extent, wants were one Of
the most useless things that Mexican
could have Having them, he had no
means of gratifying them. The old peonage
system, modified but still prevalent, kept
him in a state of semi-savery, paid beg
garry pittance for his labor Obliged him to
spend what littA money he got at the
store maintained by his planter-master,
and often if not usually kept him in debt
to the store for purchases made. As a small
planter he was at the mercy OF the only
customer he had for his production, usually
some larger planter in his vicinity. Small
planters owning their land were, and still
are, few in number As a renter the small
farmer was little better OF than the peon.
Two factors are contributing to a change
in this system-railroads and enterprises
paid to the peon. The railroad widens the
market for the produce Of the planter, large
or small and labor on public. semi-public
or private enterprises is paid in cash The
laboring classes have few pesos to spend
and they are developing a collection Of
wants, legitimate and otherwise. Wants
are the basis Of trade. Mans absolute
needs, in Mexico or in any other land. are
few in number and easily supplied. A ma
tion whose people do no more than supply
their needs will have little domestic trade
and no foreign commerce. Until a few
years ago the wants of the people of Mexico
were largely confined to guns and ammu
milton for their revolutions.
1t is only within the last few years that
production, except in limited number
Of lines and in limited number Of localities,
offered any possibility for the Mexican
people. If they produced they had no
way of marketing their product at prices
which left them anything after paying for
its transportation, while, on the other hand,
the great cost Of transportation 80 enhanced
the cost of that which they wanted that its
purchase was beyond their means, Rail-
ways have opened market. lowered the
cost of the desired articles, and very large
increase in labor rates has given many the
means with which to buy. The constant
extension of these opportunities is making
the Mexicans more and more, from year
to year, purchasing people.
The trade of the United States with Mex
leo is considerable. 1t constitutes about
two-thirds Of her entire imports. For the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1908, Mexican
imports from the United States amounted
to s42 ,225 900. For the fiscal year 1902 it
little exceeded $40 1000 900, and for the year
1901 it was q little under $40 ,OO0,O 900. For
the year 1893 it was $l9 900 900. less than
half the amount Of five years later. While
this increase is not limited to representa-
ton Of the increase in individual wants, a
fair amount Of that item is included in it.
Some OF the larger items OF our sales TO
Mexico last year are indicative OF industrial
growth rather than Of social development.
Among these there appear such entries az
the following, which | give in round fig
ures:
Raw cotton. so0cO
coal .....................'.... .looW
Lororotves... tSoTm ~ @
Agricultural implements. ............ $50. .ooo
Electrical machinery. teieg raph and tee.
phone apparatus s....'...'.....'''..'..' wv
Mexico was also large buyer Of food
products This is an item which Mexico
should and doubtless will correct. She
has the soil and the climate for a supply
Of practically all the food she needs In all
its varieties, yet last year we sold her $780,
600 worth of fruit 81 200 900 worth of cereals
and cereal products, $4,000 worth Of
bacon. lard and hams, and sl45 900 worth
of butter, cheese and oleomargarine. Among
other items Of interest and Importance,
there appear,