The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-03-10
MEXICO NEEDS
SMALL COINS
:1leney Changers Make Profits
Because MINIS Cannot Meet
the Demand.
MUST MAKE YOUR own CHANGE
Almost Impossible to Buy Merct,andise
IN Small Quantities Unless You
Have Exact chanos-Taxieat
System IL Well Regulated.

San Antonio. Tex.-Money, taxicaba
flowers, fruits, dirt and trade embar.
goes-these are certain to attract the
attention Of travellers from the United
States IN Mexico.
Mexico Is now on 4 wholly metallic
basis, 50 far as money is concerned.
This condition has been forced through
long series Of worthless issues Of pa
Per money by various revolutionary
factions prior to the Inauguration OF
Oarranza as president.
There is An abundance Of native gold
and silver out Of which to coin money.
All coins above 1O-centavo pieces are
Il silver or gold. Inability Of minis to
meet the demand has created a short.
age Of change. This shortage has been
taken advantage Of by money changers
an over the republic.
pcont for Money Changers.
It is almost impossible to buy mer.
eAandise In large or small quantities
unless you are able to make your own
change. From 2 to s per cent 10 com.
monty charged by money changers fer
converting 10 or 20 peso pieces into
silver Of small denominations.
This shoftage was made more acute
about two years ago through the with
ATawal from circulation Of the I'D Mex
lean silver peso. This was caused by
the advance In the price Of silver.
which made the peso worth approx
amatolv n vop ono< mana than to <AnA
value a. bullion. The new Mexican
oliver coins do not contain as high q
percentage Of silver as these old peso
pieces.
It is hard to conceive of a cigar store
refusing to sell one cigar because one
has not the exact change, but that is
the case all over Mexico. One also en-
counters difficulty in buying food while
travelling. for the reason that food mer-
chants at the stations are unable to
make change readily. Often a meal
may cost 81 because Of this scarcity Of
change.
We in the states might learn some
thing from the well-regulated taxicab
system Of Mexico City. I arrived in
the capital at n. m. My baggage was
carried to taxicab by licensed and
numbered cargadore. These cargadores
insist upon showing travellers their
numbers. in compliance with the law,
and it is wise for any stranger travel
ing In Mexico to note the number care
fully. Most Of the cargadorec. how
. ever, can be relied upon to handle your
baggage with care and perfect safety.
Once your baggage is deposited in a
taxicab, a policeman is on hand to
note the chauffeur's license, the num-
Der Of passengers and destination. The
policeman gives the passenger a slip
with these facts recorded, which should
be retained in case tho service Is found
to be faulty.
Taxicab rates are plainly posted in
the cars.
Fruits and Flowers Plentiful.
Along the route to Mexico City L
found tile towns dirty, but the flower
and fruit stands sumptuous1y stocked.
Prices for fruit and flowers are so RI
1iculously low in comparison with
prices Ill lI1c SttttS tuit we ~
to lay in a ridiculous oversupply. One
can buy bouquet Of roses rs big
around as q hushe1 basket for so
cents American money.
found considerable dissatisfaction
throughout Mexico with the embargo
against Mexican citrus fruit. Large
quantities Of oranges, lines and lemons
are raised In Mexico. The quality Of
this fruit is excellent. The excuse for
the embargo is that the germ Of a
blight that is fatal to citrus fruits
might he brought into the United States
If markets were opened to the Mexi-
cans. am told. however, on reliable
authority. that this danger IS more
imaginary than real. I found strong
sentiment everywhere for the lifting of
the embargo and similar embargo
against cotton.