3Iodc of loorldng the Bark-Export Monopoly. 415 



speculation, avarice, and the continual political troubles and 

 alterations of the Grovernment, have each and all proved sore 

 enemies to the peaceful development of the industry of the 

 country. Each new President had only one tliought, viz. 

 how to make the largest profit by seizing on the natural 

 wealth of the country, and only sought to increase the ex- 

 port of the bark for the sake of the monopoly. In 1850 a 

 native commercial house in La Paz paid the bark-gatherers 

 60 pesos for every 100 lbs., besides a duty to Government of 

 25 pesos additional, at the same time paying on an estimated 

 export of 7000 cwt. The exorbitant wage thus granted to 

 the Cascarilleros resulted in an enormous quantity of Cali- 

 saj^a being brought to La Paz from all parts of Bolivia. In 

 order to preserve the public tranquillity, and not glut the 

 market, the Bolivian Government now prohibited entirely the 

 cutting or collecting of bark. Within eighteen months about 

 1400 tons of bark were brought in, and this gave the mono- 

 polists a perfect dread lest they should have to declare them- 

 selves bankrupt, and it was indeed only through the inter- 

 vention of Government that they escaped. The latter took 

 the entire stock on their own hands, paid the speculators witli 

 Treasury bonds, redeemable within a given number of years, 

 and made a fresh contract with a native firm, which stipu- 

 lated that the price at La Paz should be 65 dollars per 

 100 lbs., without further export duty. 



As soon as the stock in hand was exhausted, the prohi- 

 bition against cutting Calisaya had of course to be rescinded, 



