Handbook for translators of Spanish historical ... - University Library

HANDBOOK FOR TRANSLATORS OF SPANISH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
possession of miners, or, rather, the merchants who
furnish them with supplies for the payment of laborers,
purchase of mules, equipment, and for the cultivation
of farms.
The merchant, who is really the owner of everything,
arbitrarily sets the price of everything. He sells
clothing and other articles at whatever price can "be
obtained from the purchaser, according to his meems.
Although known kinds of cloth, for instance, may have
a fixed regulation price of one peso, or ten, twelve,
or fourteen reales, which is the highest price, there
is always a chance for alteration. Since such a rate
is based on arbitrary principles, use is made of the
one which is most advantageous to the merchant. Singe
the fraud is neither noticed nor investigated, contracts
are generally fulfilled.
As I stated above, it is not easy to explain a matter
that requires varied laiowledge and many exaunples to be
understood. Nevertheless, since my purpose is to
describe the harm caused the wretched Indian and the
poverty-stricken day laborer by these truly imaginary
coins; I shall give sufficient facts to enable one to
form an opinion about the matter.
An Indian working for a daily wage, for instance,
earns six pesos per month at the rate of two reales
each day, excepting holidays. His overseer pays him
with three varas of native baize; the price of baize
is two pesos per vara. The overseer, however, purchases
the baize from a merchant at the rate of half its
regular price, which is ten or twelve reales. Consequently,
he pays the Indian only four and a half
pesos for the six pesos he earns in one month. If the
purchase was made at the minimiim price of seven or
eight reales, then the overseer pays the Indian only
three pesos and six reales.
The small amovint of silver in current circulation
in a few of the Interior Provinces (for it has not yet
reached New Mexico, and it is just beginning to circulate
in California), has, to a certain extent, remedied
usurious trade. This benefit, however, does not reach
the wretched population who are in need of a coin of
small denomination in order not to incur a loss
-92-