Bisbee daily review., 1905-07-06
AGUA PRETA IS HURT
 BY GOVERNMENT ACTION
AsoLIsHMENT OF FREE ZONE WORKS GREAT HARDSHIP
 NEiGHRORiNG CITY.

NEicH8oRiNe CITY.
 Cnless the Mexican government shall change its policy and reverse it5 order abolishing the Free Zone" which was posted on last Friday and went into effect on the first day of the month Agua Prieta and other neigh boring towns will be up against tAs real thing for a time
 The Free Zone.
 The free zone was a strip of coun- tIy twenty kilometers wide, equiVa- tent 10 twelve and half English miles extending along the International boundary line on the Mexican side. Heretofore all residents or merchants who resided ou the Mexican side with in the Free Zone" could buy any kind of supplies in the United States and carry them over into Mexico by the payment of 10 per cent of the leg- nlar Mexican tariff. Under the new ruling they wilIhaye to pay the full duty which in many instances is pro h.bitiye.
 The Tariff Is Prohiaiti@c.
 The tariff on these things B Flo hibitive. No resident of our neigh boring city can buy goods on this side and take them across the line without diging up some good hard gold. The duty IS five cents per pound on flour. one cent per pound on potatoes. ana fruit, four cents ger pound on pre- serves and seven and a half c3DJs per pound on canned goods and in the same proportion clear oh down the line and through the long list of food and clothing supplies which the resi- dents of Agua Priefa must buy on this side or import from the interior Of Mexico over the "Burro route.
 Went Into Effect Without Notice.
 The Free Zone" has been in exlst- ance for more than twenty years. Res idents Of Mexico and the merchants on that side of the line were accus- toned to it's operations and it's aboli- rion without notice came as a great surprise to them and is working a great hardship on them The seal of the official envelope vas not brok- en until three o'clock on last Friday afternoon and -he jaw went into effect at twelve o'clock CT night U big merchant of Agua Preta. says that if he had been given few days notice that he could have stocked up his store so that he could have made SEQ 900, but the notice came and the tarir went on without giving him a chance.
 The Effect.
 There .s quite a difference of opin- ion in Agua Prieta about the effect that the abolition of the Free Zone" will have on the town and citizens. Some say that the town will be prac- ticaly wiped of of the map, others say that the town will be better than eTer before after 8 while, when they get a railroad. The merchants admit that 3 great many Mexicans will move to this side Of the me and that goods and groceries will be much higher in Agua Prieta for time than they kaye been heretofore and that property will depreciate in value.
 Beer at Fifteen Gents Per Glass. '.
 As an njustration of the effect that the change has had upon prices beer serves as an llustrious example. Here
 
 cents per glass the same as in Doug las. Since the abolition of the Free Zone it is going at bit drink or two glasses for quarter gold
 Are Preparing to Move.
 The Iaboring population of Agua Prieta are preparing to move onto the American side as fast as they can do so. Some Of them have already moved and the rest will do So as fast as they can get houses. Most of ths iaboring population of Agua Priets work at the smelters and they can not afford to pay heavy duty that is i'm nosed on American goods. Some of the merchants and business men seem 70 think that by and by when they get q railroad to the interior that they will be all right but they all admit that for the present they are hard hil. The duty on a hundred pounds oi flour is $500, on keg of beer s4.fv on a barrel of Wh%key of fifty gallons Sf1e.50 and so 1t goes on down the line. Goods can be shipped rom Me1' leo around through the United states in bond and pay no duty and this IS what the merchants have to do.
 A Large Guard Will Be Maintalned
 The guard of more than 300 men which has heretofore been maintain, ed at the twenty kilometer line VIII Ee moved to Agua Prieta and kept on duty there to prevent smuggling FoI a while it is a certainty that great eeaI of smuggling vii be carried OF and 1t will be necessary to maintaiF a large and efficient guard. Properts values in Agua Prieta will suIer some but just hoy much residents oo no' yet know or are afraid to admit
 Effect in Other Towns
 In Naco and Nogales the effect O! the new ruling has been even more pronounced than iE Agua Prieta- ln Naco the MexIcans are moving over on the American side in droves. h Nogales on the night the law Weni into enect over $50;0O0 worth of mer chandise was carted across the line
 Among those interviewed at Agus Prieta were Charlie Gatlin the saloon r.ouv v-r4Tfr, z