The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-09-07


about sc gold.
Owing TO the refusal OF the United
States government to withdraw Per-
shing's troops after their failure 20
capture Villa anti-American demon
STATIONS took place In several towns,
In one case at least led by the state
governor and assisted by Carranzista
soldiers. This finished up with the
usual cry of-"death to the gringoes."
1t is estimated that at that time there
were about 100000 Mexicans and
5000 Americans In the country. From
! the tone of the government press Ell
Pueblo and FL Democratic 1t was evil
dent that Mexico intended to fight
whether the United States would do
so or not. OF course this was Car
, ranza's plan to consolidate his people.
, Up to this time the press had not said
, anything uncompiimentary about Will
. son--rather the reyerse--but 1t made
up for lost time when 1t started.
, Modern Mexican Finance.
In spite of the governments declar-
alton that the Vera Cruz bills would
be valid till the end OF June for all
purposes and after that for payment
of taxes, railway freight and fares, on
: June 2 1t issued a decree that bills of
20, so and 100 pesos would be of no
value after June s.
This was an easy way to reduce the
national debt Other hard-up coun-
tries might copy 1t. They explained
that this would not hurt the poor man,
as he would not be likely to have large
bills, This IL about the most foolish
thing the so-called government lras
done so far OF course the mining
companies. business firms, clubs and
private individuals were caught with
large quantities of this valueless pa
per. AS 1t was the day before the
weekly pay, the companies had much
money on hand which they had to
throw aside and replace hurriedly
with the infalsificable bills or Vera
Cruz bills of small denominations. One
large mining concern pays about one
million pesos Gold issue) per week.
These infalsificable bills had to be
bought from the government at the
rate of 10c GU. So per peso that be-
ing the rate fixed by the government,
which has put all the money changers
out of business by decree
heard of one case of an army Of
ficer who knew that the government
intended to repudiate these Vera Cruz
bills. He went to a broker in the city
and bought draft on New York for
$4,000 and paid for 1t in these bills,
which We're declared worthless next
day. OF course the broker could do
nothing. Probably he is now broke.
Might is emphatically right in Mexico
at present There were anti-goyern-
demonstrations, which of course
effected nothing. The government an
ncunced lottery scheme by which 1t
would gradually redeem these bills, bur
everyone looks on them as worthless.
Food was scarce and dear in the
city in June, and the only restaurant in
which one could rely on getting meal
was the one In which three Carran-
vista officers were killed one night a
few months ago. l believe even that
was closed shortly after left the city.
Meals cost about the same as in the
States. The American Club seemed
fairly well provided. Some foreigners
had to live ON beer and sandwiches
for several days.
The shops appear to carry very
small stocks of goods, but probably
The government has fixed the price at
which foodstuffs must be sold, and oW-
ing to the unsatisfactory money posi-
ton, merchants of all kinds wish to
sell as little as possible-especially of
imported goods, for which they have
to pay real money. The less they sell
the less money they lose. Some firms
We're fined for charging too much, and
az ACUSt ohC idh &c american llFIn either
closed voluntarily or was closed by or
der The scarcity of food is partly
due to the fact that the producers do
not care to sell for money" that may
be declared worthless at any moment.
After the government repudiated the
larger bills II was freely rumored that
| 1t also intended to declare the smaller
ones no longer valid, so many people
invested in duty stamps which they
did not really require. Carranza and
his gang have persistently prosecuted
the merchants, declaring that they are
the cause of the scarcity of food. AS
punishment, some of them were COM
PEELED to sweep the streets in Mexico
City, and the newspapers had pic
ture of them doing so with a crowd
looking on. By the way, rarely a day
passes that these papers do not have
picture of Carranza on the front page
posing in some attitude or other
There was football match one Sun |
DAY between Spaniards and British for
the benefit of the Allies Red Cross at /
the Reforma Club, near Chapultepec. |
To see the well-dressed crowd one |
would not guess at the real condition
of the country.