LIFE IN BRAZIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1072, 20 July 1912, Page 4

LIFE IN BRAZIL.

— 1 MlXliil UUAiAIUMTY

A COUNTRY’ OR CORRI.T'JiON

An inu resting glimpse ul life in lliu/il. us experienced l>y n young Aiu-kliiniii'i. was given to a New /.calami Herald repuriui oy Mi- \V. H. Dick, lormerly ul Oiiilmliu, who has returned to Auckland at'ici- spendlug nearly a year in Hra/.d. ■•iiruzil would bo a good country under the Union .lack, hut as a, £{(.‘public the least I can say is that things uV«, very bad then-, remarked Air Dick. Tin; country is enveloped in a decidedly foreign a I nuisphcre, and the communities of tho cams are comprised ol mixed crouch ol fapaniards, Roncigutsc, Italians, i reucJimen, and a comparatively large proportion ol Kuglishinun. Uorruplion is rampant, according to Air Dick. Auer having secured a linn bold ol I lie (joveriiment, corruption lias spread to every branch of service ami industry in the country, nml ,io long as the present Ad miidsi ral mu remains in power there appears to be no prospects o( the allairs oi the eouulry being eomhulecl on a lair and honest- basis. “When President Xleium.i/. came into power. ’ continued Air link, "lie declared lie, would pul. a, slop P> the corrupt methods of oflicials. lie did so, but, while he slopped Iho oilier lelloun, lie carried h, on himself." There appears to be a wave ul r.-loriu on the horizon, but ii is Iho eu-lom of the troops to support die pa-iy in [lower, and it will be m-ees-aiy lor ihe Oppositionists to vanquish the troops beun e all iii-king ihe Uoverumeid.

Mother feature about Brazil is tin; 1 >l* ■■ valence of plague, follow lever, smallpox, ami oilier dangerous maladies during the summer. in many 01. the towns iletnlis umir at. the rair of about; 50 a day, iaii die cij cunisUince was of too common a nittnew lo attract special addition. A coii--11 ibnl no-; ( ati.se lo this bad Malt 1 ol allairs is die in.-anitary system* »>t many ol Ihe towns. However, 11 1 in problem Is belllg ”■ C,( t ij[j i< ■< I with b.\ till’ anthoril it's. and in i’.mami-iuco, Hama, and ilaiioa slops liavu keen taken to desiroy tlie unlieailliy quart eis of 1 llu lo Willi, in tile past dieee towns 1 j,ivii been veritable lioibeds of disease, and n only I lie alertness of the iiniineipal authorities that lias sated Rio, Sao I’auio. SaniOs, and Cui'ityba, from falling into a similar mate. At (lie height of the hoi season numbers of vessels are i reqnenl!y foried lo remain in port, owing lo seamen lulling vieltms lo plague or lever. "The knife and the pislol, especially ilie Unite, are used in Brazil, where liie eolonial uses his lists," said Air j lick, "and it na men quarrel llio trouble is generally put a prompt end (o by a murder. Almost evciy morning the papers tell 01, a murder or some serious crime, ami the people have, lung been educated to expoet crime to lorm a feature of t.lie morning’s news." Air luck was also impressed with tin- inadequate judical administration. There are men all over the country who (any on a trade m bloodshed; men who will murder a loJlow citizen if a elienl oll’ers an alnaelive reward. He him anted eases w hen men eonvieieil of niunler merely received semenne- ranging from 18 11■<.ii 1 lis’ lo live years' imprisonment.

The high cost of living in the towns or Brazil was also dealt with. He said that, although very high wages were paid ill all professions, it had to be remembered that the high cost of living dimmed die apparent, glitter of a large salary. ile [laid £4 a week for board and lodging similar to that procurable in Auckland for 18s or £1 a. week. A suit of clothes costs £lO, an ordinary straw hat iss, and ihiglish boots £2. .Mr Hick thinks that die majority of Knglish people m .Brazil are prosperous, and although ihere arc many signs of [loverly, he tines not think families suffering from .starvation can be found. In reference to the cost of living, .Mr Dick related an incident showing the favourable position of Auckland in tins matter, in Rio he met; a gentleman vviio had lived in most parts of tile world, and, unaware that Mr Hick was a New Zealander. die si ranger casually remarked dial "die cheapest and best 'hoard lie ever had was in a private boa I ding-linnsc in a [dace called Auckland, in New Zealand," (hiring die time Mr inch was in Brazil, a la rife amount ot spurious paper-money was in circulation, and as the Iraml was widespread, almost everybody suffered more or Jess.