El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-07

about high prices in the United
- States. They are nothing COM
pared to high prices in Guatemala !
have been here with my stenographer
for the past few weeks, and my aver
age expenses have been about $500 per
day. Last week cost me over $4,000, and
my regular board at the principal no
tel is S136 per day. had a carriage Tor
three hours at SIS an hour, and every
time I take a mule ride over the coun-
try the charge for the animal is so
per day. Everything is in the same
ratio. 1t costs so cents to post let
ter and Is cents for a postal card.
tried 70 Inv an English saddle in a
harness store this morning, and the
price for it was $500 1 could not af-
ford it, and went to the stationery store
across the way, where l was charged
a dollar for a lead pencil and S. for the
not book in which 1 am writing.
Land of the Six-Cent Dollar.
Indeed, the prices are terrible: But
they are not so bad when you lind that
they are paid only in tho currency OF
the country. The Guatemala dollar has
been steadily going down, and it Is
now worth Just about cents Of our
money. You can get II or Is Guate-
malan dollars for an American dollar,
and in order to figure out the real cost
you must divide by II All the bills
are paid in paper, and the money is
worth so little that it is a trouble to
carry it Five thousand dollars in gold
changed into one-dOllar bills would
give you a large pillowcase fun, and as
I am writing all my pockets are bulg-
ing with dollars. I drew $40 on my
letter of credit at the bank and for this
the cashier handed me $500 Of these
Guatemalan simOleOns- Some Of 1t was
in 500 bills, but the most of il was
in petty tens and twenties and SIS notes
such as one gives for a fee.
While stood at the bank WINDOW
a man came up to make a deposit He
had a bundle under his arm which
looked like a package Of laundry He
laid it on the counter and took off the
string, and the dirty bills, BY a gust
of wind, were blown over the floor.
They were finally gathered together
and it took over 20 minutes to count
them What the amount was 1 do not
know, but it was probably under $1,000
in gold.
As a result of this poor currency the
people are crazy for gold. In the bust
ness sections there are money changers
in every block, and every one wants to
change his paper for gold. The prcDri-
etOr of my hotel grabs at each gold
coin, and one Of the priests / met in
the cathedraIs asked me to exchange
gold for six-cent dollars. 1t is the
same at the American club. I was off
cred $500 there for a $40 gold piece.
At the same time the wages on the
estates are paid in currency, and the
indians receive only a few cents of our
money per day. Some think this a good
get work for Guatemalan dollars, while
their exports are paid for in gold. II
the indian gets SO a day he is in
reality receiving only Is cents, and he
is more often paid 10 or Il cents. This
is said to be one Of the theories Of
president Cabrera
Bankrupt Country of Enormous Re
sources.
The fact is the position Of Guatemala
Is much like that of a bankrupt who
still has one of the richest gold mines
Of the world under his feet The natural
resources OF the country are valuable
beyond description Guatemala abounds
in rich mineral deposits. 1t is known to
have gold, silver, copper, iron and lead
but tie country is practically unproS-
oected. 1t has some Of the best coffee
$4,000, 900 to 100000, 900 pounds every
year. It has rich grazing lands, and
t will grow rubber, cotton and sugar.
There is no country on earth which will
produce better or more bananas per
acre than the MOtagua valley, and it
has in addition vast forests Of timber,
mahogany, cedar and dye
woods All the country needs is money.
The labor problem is based upon the
indian population, which amounts to
more than 1,500,0 900, and it is not diff
sult to handle. If the country could
AVE big enough loan to put it on a
gold basis it would soon become one of
he richest lands of this hemisphere 1t
s in the front doOryard of the United
states. 1t is within two days by steam
r of New Orleans and 1t has only 80
niles OF railroad track to build to unite
Guatemala City with the railroad sys-
ems of the United States
In the first place, however, the gov
rnment will have to secure its foreign |
lebt, which is now held in Europe
nd in our country. and then to make |
ome kind Of an arrangement as to the /
German Capital in Guatemala
t. =
sreat leeches on the body polite They 4
re sucking the life blood out Of the 4
BUSINESS and are grabbing after every 4
hing in sight / am told that their in 4
mount to upward of $50, 100000, and I
hat 50 percent Of the coffee estates /
elOng to them. They are ready to |
NY the balance and il is said that there 4
re S2O.OO0,0o0 now in Germany for in
estment here.
The Germans have got their hold on
he country by watching the finances |
nd buying at every time Of financial |
Limitations some years ago by loaning (
money right and left when coffee was
Ugh. Then coffee fell, there was a
DOR crop, and the planters who Dor
Mortgages were foreclosed and as no
ne was able to buy, the Germans took
n the best estates at their own prices.
Jealous of Americans.
The Germans are very Jealous of |
americans out Of the wholesale and re-
lg every American investment They
ave done this to all electrical DropO- |
iuons, and they want to keep the /
mericans out of the wholesale and re-
all trade. AS it is now, the largest
torres belong to them and they have
heir drummers going over the coun-
~. Much Of the business is very prof
able, and this is so of all banking ana /
lercantile enterprises.
Some Big American Investments.
Within the past few years consider
bic American capital has come into
his country. The Motagua valley and
s banana lands belong to the United