The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1920-04-07
MEXICO NEEDS
SMALL COINS
Money Changers Make Profit,
Because MINIS Cannot Meet
the Demand.
MUST MAKE YOUR OWN CHANGE
Almost Impossible to Buy MerchandIs,
In Small Quantities Unless You
Have Exact chanae-TaxIcab
System Is Well Regulated.


San Antonio. Tex.-Money, taxicabS
flowers, fruits, dirt and trade embar
goes-these are certain to attract thu
attention of travellers from the Unltet
States In Mexico.
Mexico is now on a wholly metalli,
basis, SO far as money Is concerned
This condition has been forced through
a long series of worthless issues of pa
per money by various revolutionar!
factions prior to the Inauguration o.
Carranza as president.
There is an abundance of native golt
and silver out of which to coin money
All coins above 10-centavo pieces arr
of silver or gold. Inability of minis t.
meet the demand has created short
age of change. This shortage has beer
taken advantage of by money changer,
all over the republic.
Profit for Money Changers.
1t Is almost impossible to buy mpr
chandise In large or small quantitie.
unless you are able to make your owr
change. From 2 to per cent is com
monty charged by money changers fol
converting 10 or 90 peso pieces int
silver of small denominations.
This shortage was made more acute
about two years ago through the with
drawal from circulation of the old Mex
fcan silver peso. This was caused b,
the advance in the price of silver
which made the peso worth approx
mately so per cent more than its fac,
value as bullion. The new Mexican
silver coins do not contain as high {
percentage of silver as these old pest
pieces.
It Is hard to conceive of cigar stor,
refusing to sell one cigar because ont
has not the exact change but that /.
the case all over Mexico. One also en-
counters difficulty in buying food Will,
travelling, for the reason that food mer
chants at the stations are unable tt
make change readily. Often a mea
may cost s. because of this scarcity o.
change.
We in the states might learn some
thing from the well-regulated taxjcal
system of Mexico City. 7 arrived il
the capital at 3 a. m. My baggage wat
carried to a taxicab by a licensed an(
numbered cargadOre. These cargadOre,
insist upon showing travellers theil
numbers, in compliance with the law
and it is wise for any stranger travel
n n n MpVipn RI h 10 he,
fully. Most of the cargadores how
ever, can be relied upon to handle yOm
baggage with care and perfect safety.
Once your baggage Is deposited in
taxicab, a policeman is on hand II
note the chauffeur's license, the mum
Der Of passengers and destination. TIL,
policeman gives the passenger a sliT
with these facts recorded. which SHOULD
he retained in case the service is fount
to he faulty.
Taxicab rates are plainly posted II
the cars.
Fruits and Flowers Plentiful.
Along the route to Mexico City
found the towns dirty, but the fiowa
and fruit stands sumptuously stocked
Prices for fruit and flowers are so ri
diculously low in comparison with
prices in the states that one is tempted
to lay in a ridiculous Oversupply. One
can buy bouquet Of roses as bis
around as bushel basket for, sc
cents American money.
| found considerable dissatisfaction
throughout Mexico with the embarg,
against Mexican citrus fruit Large
quantities of oranges, lines and lemon.
are raised In Mexico. The quality o
this fruit is excellent. The excuse To-
the embargo is that the germ of {
blight that is fatal to citrus fruit,
might be brought into the United State.
If markets were opened to the Mexi
cans. am told, however ON reliable
that this danger is more
than real. l found stron,
sentiment everywhere for the lifting Of
the embargo and a similar embargo
against cotton.