Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1910 — MEXICO MISSING CHANCES, [ARTICLE]

MEXICO MISSING CHANCES,

Agriculturists of the Republic Fall to Cater to American Needs. In an address recently in Guadafajara, Bernardo Mayen, representing the Department of Fomento, stated that agriculturists in Mexico were not taking advantage of the great opportunities which existed at their very doors, the Mexican Herald says. Ht called attention to the fact that the United States had imported during the year of 1909 over $9,000,000 worth oi lemons and limes. Of this amount Mexico, the nearest foreign producer, .had sent $4,500. Practically all of the importation had been from Italy, a distant country, and no more favorable for the production of limes and lemons than is Mexico. Other examples quoted showed that practically every class of agricultural product for which the soil and climate of Mexico were especially fit ted was made to produce more revenut in other countries. Of the $3,500,001 worth of cocoanuts imported by tht United States, Mexico furbished sl3, 000; of $2,000,000 worth of dates, Mex ico furnished $46; of $2,000,000 worti of onions, Mexico furnished $400; ol $136,000,000 worth of silk, Mexico sen* none. According to Mr. Mayen. Mexict should be able to compete very favor ably for- the larger per cent of the business in the products mentioned while he saw no reason why, in th< course of time, that Mexico should noi furnish the entire supply imported bj the United States. There are only twe products furnished by Mexico which supply the demand in the Unitec States; one is henequen and the othe) vanilla. Of the former Mexico fur nished annually $29,000,000 of the S3O, 000,000 imported, while three cantones in the State of Vera Cruz supply sl,600,000 of the $3,000,00 worth of va nilia imported. Drawing an example, the speaket pointed out that only a few years age these two greatest industries did not exist. They were built up by intelll gent agriculturists. In the same way Mexico could become the source oi supply for the United States in prac tically air of the tropicaj products consumed in that country. In detailing the reasons for the fail ure of Mexican agriculturists to takt advantage of such a promising field was the opinion of many that the laboi employed on the haciendas was sc poorly paid that it drew only the mon ignorant laborers, all qt the brlghtei minds finding more remunerative wort in other pursuits. As proof of the point he cited the custom of the Unitec! States and Argentina of paying fam labor from eight to ten times the amount of the average wage in thii country, yet by far larger profits wen obtained; As the lecture was attended by t large number of the principal hacien dados of the State, who wove deeply interested in the points brought out, 11 is hoped that a more active effort will be made to adopt modern methods and make such improvements as will tend to the bringing of the industry to a higher state, of development throughout the State of Jalisco.