The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-03-03


States and Canada does not give a
thought to the state of Yucatan from
one years end to the other. He doubt
less never stops to think of that coun-
try on the southeastern coast of Mexi.
co which projects out like boot into
the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean
sea.
He will think of Yucatan many
times, however, before he gets his
binder twine next summer, for twine
will be higher than it has been for
years, and the farmer does not like
to pay useless toll or tribute to any
one when he buys his necessities.
This year he will pay for the sisal
| fibre and for hauling it on the ships
and railroads and for spinning it into
twine in the American factories, as
he has always done, and which he is
willing to do; but, in addition, he
will also pay a liberal tax to the
military government of Yucatan and
another liberal sum to the American
bankers who are loaning the neces-
sary money to maintain a complete
control of the sisal market.
A great deal already has been
printed in the papers about the Yuc-
atan governments agents in this
country to throw the consumers of
twine off the right track. 1t is time
that all the facts were known, and
if our farmers must go down into
their pockets to pay tribute they
should at least know who gets it.
The situation presents many phases
and the easiest way to understand it
to read the story of how monop-
ply of the sisal supply has been form
ed
Let us first define a few terms
papers and a few more which you
will see when all the story is told.
The meaning of these terms must be
known before the sisal situation can
be understood
Sisal-A fibre obtained from the
leaves of agave, a species Of century
plant known in Yucatan as hene-
quen. 1t is variously styled hene-
luen, sisal fibre, hemp, etc.
Yucatan.-A state of Mexico. about
the size of Wisconsin, on the south
eastern coast, where a large part of
the sisal used in the world is grown.
The Regulating Committee.-"Co
mission Reguladora del Mercado de
Henequen. "A department of the
Yucatan government created in 1912
10 buy and hold sisal when the price
was low, thus maintaining fair
prices.
General Alvarado.-The present
military governor OF Yucatan, who
took control about March 1S, 1915,
having been appointed by Carranza.
The Agrarian Lava decree
which Alvarado issued December 3,
1915. which among other things COM
pels all Yucatan growers of sisal to
sell their fibre to the regulating com
mittee.
Pan-American Commission Corpor
Organized under the laws of
New York by a number of American
bankers in December 1915, with
capital of $1,OOO,OOO which has agreed
to lend money to the extent of $10,-
900 900. if necessary. at not to exceed
6 per cent. to the regulating committee
to enable it to maintain its mon opoly
Of sisal.
The story of making the American
and Canadian farmer pay tribute on
his binder twine is almost told in
these definitions. The regulating
which was formed three
years ago, was innocent enough in
the beginning; but through the man
pulation of an arbitrary military
government it has changed from reg
llating to absolute control of the en-
Ire fucatan SlSal prOductlOn- Wnen
Alvarado came upon the scene, the
committee became the agency of a
state monopoly. The provisions Gre
ating the regulating committee make
he governors control of it's opera
ion easy, as they provide that the
governor of Yucatan shall be ex-of-
icio president of the com mittee, and
hat, in case of question or deadlock,
he governor should have, the sole
,ower of decision.
To corner the sisal mar ket and to
make the monopoly compl etc requir-
ID money and financial ba cking, and
his was the one thing hat Alvar-