AUSTERITY IN BRAZIL
Sir,-Dr. Eichbaum’s article: on Brazil was useful, though short, but I feel that your heading, "No Austerity in. Brazil," was misleading, Dr. Eichbaum would be the first to admit, I am sure, that there is very real austerity in Brazil, outside a very small minority of the people, Perhaps your readers will be. interested in some facts about life in Brazil. They are very easily obtained from any library. First, a survey which wag ¢arried out among 500 families of the labouring class in Recife, Pernambuco, in 1934, by Josne de Castio, revealed that the average daily intake of food was 1,646 calories, and» that the diet was deficient in calories, proteins, calcium, iron, and vitamins. This survey is desctibed in Brazil; People and Institutions, by T. Lynn Smith. (Louisiana State University Press, 1946), which also gives a table showing the per capita monthly expenditure for ‘food, and food costs as a percentage of total family expenditures, in various districts in 1940. The percentage of family expenditures taken up by food varied from 46.5 in the Distrito Federal to 87.3 for the interior of Alagoas State. The figures for Sao Paulo were 54.9 per cent. in the capital and, 61.4 per cent. in the interior, A British Government Overseas Economic Survey on Brazil, written by A. H. W. King, of His Majesty’s Embassy, Rio de Janeiro, an ‘published in 1948, estimated that pre-war wages were £3-£5 a month, and that they have since risen by 200-300 per cent, It re- ° marks, "During the war years these increases in wages were of little) ‘moment to the industrialist, for in the absence of foreign competition they could, and did, demand .exhorbitant prices, and made extravagant profits," The International Labour Review for October, 1948, shows that the cost of living rose by 184 per cent. in -Rio from 1937 to December, 1947; and that food prices roge by 180 per cent. over the same period. Increases for Sao Paulo between 1939 and December, 1947, are given as 230 per cent. for cost of living, and 268 per cent. for food prices. For most people, Brazil is probably a good place to be away from.
W. J.
McELDOWNEY
(Heretaunga).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19490729.2.12.4
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 527, 29 July 1949, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
368AUSTERITY IN BRAZIL New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 527, 29 July 1949, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in