El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-12

war they were already taking ot ~. oB-nut
OF pounds every year In 4oSo in 1911
was more than 100000 tons t1S sG6 tons
the exports were more than -,9oy,- ming
and the value Of the output Wa 80 20
like 500. 600. 900. This work has - Tor
ing on steadily at the present -
80 ~ a r-a1aration. and in less degree
for a generation and more before - - -
this time only 90 percent Of the PROM i5s
been saved The other 40 pezIi~-Iess country
IN the dumps. and in this ram ~ ..0ra1
there 1t will continue TO lie ulL-- 77r1o-l-s
sesame" Of some inventors BRAN 5l--
the robber cave Of nitrate anu mus
himself and the world
Water is Piped TO the WOES
The water for the nitrate works CONF l-s
in pipes for q long distance over ttt--.--+.-5
and an kinds OF food must oe IL-po - - ~
F,verv cor1Danv has its own store, ana lt
paws its wages in blanks instead O N
money. Each blank IS the size "a . - h.
ship. It has its value marked On IL T. - -
can be used at the company s'olSa --l--77sr
resents so much money, ana ne - -,
can cash II at any time Inc $500 -
at profit, and the prices are ms - "a
cents apiece. all cuts Of meat ~ -
pound. and beans about 50 a ous--l.- -
oil costs about 20 cents a gailon - -
over / cent a pound me coz y f-o,1
for cooking. The most OF IL Soltt-Sl--5 -
southern Chile, although some j. - -
from England and Austraha- ~ -
officinas have schools for their men anu
there are hospitals and physicians access
supports Many Coast Towns
The nitrate business supports a n1In1eF
Of towns aolng the coast IL is m - -.
bone Of Iquique, the foundaItloIn. 9I 14aiii-
fagasta and It also feeds LallaL, - l7 ~
lones. Pisagua. Chanaral and Iocopllla'
which are towns Of less size -.
Iquique depends entirely on nitrate; - ~,
to Valparaiso and Antofagasta II Is the
most thriving seaport Of the counlIS- 4.
lies on the edge Of the sea unueI "a !
ragged hills. For a hundred nllt e. 80 49, -
IL and around there is nothing OUT u5sgl :
The country has not one BLADE OF go
except that fed by the fresh water uIousa -
10 Iquique in pipes, ana the NH1 - ~ -
which Is more than IS miles IN lehs IN
Nevertheless the city has $4,000 innault-
ants II has wide streets and an eleclrll
car line It has its newspapers a lneate.
moving picture shows and a GOOD En6ilsn
club. II has good stores and markets anu;
although il produces nothing puL nl-I1Le OF
soda and everything must come from
abroad its people live almost as vel as
those Of any other south American CITY
Pay Enormous Dividends.
Most Of the nitrate works are owned ny
stock companies and nearly all OF them
are paying big dividends Some have coup-eo
and trebled in value since they were organ
1 lied Take the Aqua Santa. whose capital
when / visited il some years ago was only
IS. 600. 900. When that stock was PAID
[ in. il was at the rate Of 10 pesos per share,
and since then 1t has sold for 80 times that
amount Some OF the biggest ofticinas have
paid for themselves in three years and no.
a few have given stock dlVloends OF NV
and zoe percent
I longed TO the government, and they have
been sold out at auction TO the highes
bidders the government also taking IL
share OF the exports through the duty which
[ il charges upon every bag shipped The
receipts have been so great that they have
led 10 exrrava giant expenditure on the paEl
/ Of the officials. and there are wise men IN
/ Chile who claim that it is pauperizlng the
country They say they would be far bet
[ ter off II they had had to pay taxes Ike
I other countries instead OF having thest
Z nitrate mines that supply from two-thirds 70
l for1--fffrhs or their public needs.