The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-30
FROM ROSES TO FINANCE.
Story Of limantour,. the Many.SIdcd
Man, Who Directs Fiscal Opera
tons IN Mexico.
(New York Evening Post)

Jose Yves Limantour was in his gar
den mourning over frostslaln roses. 1t
was my first meeting with the MeXi-
can minister OF finance With cloaked
shoulderS-for the rarefed air of tho
high plateau upon which the Valley
of Mexico sits, cuppcd within bare
and auSterc mountains. was shrewd,
In spite of the brilliancy of the after
noon sun-he moved slowly from bush
10 bush, marking the blasted flowers.
He spoke OF his gardening enthu-
slastically and with the precion that
comes of assured knowledge. while he
walked along the primly ordered paths
OF his estate. which lies In MiXcoac, d
suburb OF the city Later he indi-
Gated in his library a shelf crowded
with authoritative works on landscape
gardening, from the pens OF AmeTi-
can. English, French and Italian ex-
pertS.
Let me tell you a curious thing.
said he That It. Il may seem curl
Gus that such duties come within the
Official scope of the work OF the minis
ter of finance.
They have placed me In charge OF
the park at Chapultepec That is
part of my work, TO look after the
trees and the flowers and TO plan the
improvements. Really. It isn't work.
for ! regard 1t as part OF my relaXa-
tion, my pleasure I go there every
morning on my way TO my office
When | leave my house | am the min
lister Of finance, for my secretary rides
with me and reads my mail. but when
n INF., ag he. orls Il
dener Tor an hour II is delightful
there early In the morning. The su-
perintendent tells me that a tree Is
sick. We examine It and prescribe
for H. We plan flower beds and the
planting of shrubbery. The hour goes
too quickly. for when ] enter my auto
mobile again there is the secretary
with the letters. and once more / am
a minister of finance"
He has been In charge OF the MeXi-
can exchequer since 1898 He has ac-
copied as his life work the rehabllita-
ton Of the finances OF the republic
No one could have performed the task
better, and few could have managed
so well. With him a dominant talent
! for finance has attained to the dignity
and power OF genius. Contrasting the
hopeless muJdle of Mexico's finances
two decades ago and the firm eco
nomic basis upon which they now rest.
one maryels at the almost nocromatic
quality OF his Accomplishments Like
| a financial David he freed Mexico from
the apparent hopeless thraldom IN
which 1t was held by giant deficit
In budgets OF the past the deficit was
regarded as Inevitable in the yearly
casting up OF the nations accounts
| Mr.. Limantour met the deficiency, and
| within two years after be clutched
the purse strings he had II in retreat
II has never returned. Now. when
! Mexico goes into the worlds money
marts she poses as no cringng sup
| plinnt. hat In hand, and ready TO ac-
, cept gratefully the most meager SOD
that the bankers choose to toss. She
IS rich. She pays her debts dollar for
dollar. Accordingly she IS respected
and deferred TO. II she wants 10 Dor.
row she makes her own terms. and the
bankers may take them OF leave tbom
as they choose.
The appetite for work OF the minis
ter OF finance Is avid and Unsuitable.
He is in his office until O'Clock in
the evening. and not infrequently Il Is
later when be leaves. Eight was the
hour he named in his first appoint.
ment with ne That was exceptional.
| thought. and wondered at IL But az
one studied the man anI his methods
one ceased 10 consider II extraordI-
nary. His vacations are taken once
In four years II he feels he Ia able
TO respite himself without losing mo.
mentum in his work. Usually these
vacation trips are combined With gov