The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-18
100000 TRIBUTE
TO HEMP MONOPOLY
Mexican Scheme Will Cost
y. s. Farmers That Amount,
It Is Said.
INQUIRY Is INVITED

wheat " Of the United States
will md their cost OF production In
creased between s7,5oo,ooo md $4,000
f, 600 this coming harvest They will have
10 pay Just tina much more for the
binder Irvine they must use. and II will
70 as tribute TO the Carranza Gov
eminent OF Mexico and q group OF
American bankers and Mexican business
men operating as the Pan-American
Commission Corporation.
Tho basis OF II all 10 q monopoly Of
the hemp. or slsai. industry Of Yucatan.
Mexico, denounced in Congress by Sen
ator McCumber OF North Dakota anG
Representative Cox OF Indiana as absolute
In every respect. The two national legis-
lators have introduced resolutions call
ing for an invtstigation OF the Pan
| American Commission Corporation.
which has a New York charter. and they.
with other Representatives in Congress
from the wheat growing States. declare
that they are being deluged with let
tiers from farmers associations and deal
ers asking for some form OF relief.
Summed up. according to the declara-
ions made at Washington, the Carran1a
Government, operating through Gen. Bal.
vador Alvarado. Military Governor Of
Yucatan. a former Sonora merchant, has
raised the price OF sisal, which Is an
other name for hemp. in New York from
NJ cents a pound, which wat the price
one year ago. to ~ cents \ pound.
the present figure.
This increase In price OF the raw ma
terial will be reflected In NJ increased
price Of finished product. and as the
United States uses about 200 1000 tons
OF wine annually the farmer must pay
at least $500 900 more. II the present
market price Is maintained. 1t Is feared
hat he will have to pay more than
that.
ConAsration scheme.
The increased price does not mean
prosperity for the siesi growers OF Yu-
catan. Reports received yesterday said
h a the Government there has fixed a
Nat price OF 4 cents "A pound to all
growers and In addition has been work
ing out q scheme for the corfscation OF
the h~aciendas. or estates. which are to be
cut up into small parcels for growers
who will pledge themselves to sell only
TO the Government. Many of the fo,-
mer landowners OF the country are
now IN new NOrk city. eAlleu py OTIlcldl
or unofficial DEGREES.
Yucatsr, autonomous by treaty which
Joined its fortunes with the Republic
OF Mexico. has been called the most
enlightened and progressive Of the States
of Mexico. Its Inhabitants are OF the
better class Of spanish descent, while the
poems are the peaceful Maya Indians.
Yucatan never Joined In any revolu-
ton against Poriirio Diaz. Madero,
Huerta or became seriously involved
with Carranza or Villa. Only once have
the people OF fucatan appeared In arms,
and that was against the ten day regime
OF Gobernador Santos and his band OF
radicals. who had threatened the homes
and the families OF the country with the
fate Of the Mex!cans OF the north. The
people rose then and chased Santos on,
In February. 1915. thereafter making but
a faint show OF resistance against The
C~arranZis;as who went into the State
Gen. Alvarado succeeded In March.
Hemp or sisal IL known az henequen
in Spanish. and Yucatan has lived upor
that Industry for years. IL has exported
annually 10 The United States abou, L..
o00. 900 bales. The nature OF henequer
makes its production an art in whicl
patience is the prime requisite. 1t re-
qu!res at least seven years for the plant
TO reach u size where It's leaves becom,
VALUABLE. lhf ~ ~ tAltli y II Ibf tlt
marhet--the shredding and drying-re.
CURES expensive machinery and skill.
About one-th!rd OF the State is there
fore taken up with the haciendas, which
aie large estates but do not approach
the size Of the estates OF the north
The remaining two-thirds of the lane
is owned by the Government and Il
available for those who desire TO under
take the slow task OF hemp cultivation.
Hemp Organization.
In order that they might handle theiI
product and finance themselves satistac
] torily the hemp growers of iucatan II
1907 formed an organization, which wa.
styled the Comision R~eguladora del Mcr
cado de Henequen or the commission L
regulate the henequen market. or Thu
organization the Governor of the State
who under the treaty had to be a Yucca
|, tanian, was the chairman.
one object OF this commission wa.
to take up the surplus henelu.n anC
l hold 1t 50 that the market might no
be glutted. Finance Tor this were t.
, be raised by an export tax.
At his time the hemp manufacturer
of the United States went to Merida
tho capital. and made their purchas SCI
, in the open market. The international
Harvester Company. the largest pur
chaser; the Plymouth Cordage Com
] pany. the Ca de Ha~Ciendados Hene
t queneros de Yucatan and the Negoc.
EXportadodos de Heneuucn apJeare,
through their agents and bought AT tn,
best price. There were Other privat,
buyers also, Alfonso Escal.nte n co
and ]. a. Medina of New York 90
Hansen e. Orth), through whom a hene
a quen farmer could also export on hi
a own account IL he did not like the price