THE LABOUR-SUPPLY 63 



waterways in the Amazon Valley during the months 

 when the rivers are low contain an ample area of agri- 

 cultural land of the finest quality available for the 

 cultivation of beans, farinha, and maize, the staple 

 articles of consumption. Tobacco does well on these 

 alluvial soils, and yields exceptionally heavy crops. 

 While the conditions are not ideal for raising cattle, and 

 the climate does not permit of the preparation of dried 

 meat (xarque), a sufficient number of animals could be 

 bred to provide the necessary rations of fresh meat. 

 Fish can be obtained from the rivers at most seasons 

 of the year. If adequate attention was devoted to these 

 natural resources, the cost of living could be diminished 

 to a substantial extent, and this would help materially 

 to prepare the way for a lower wage rate. To approach 

 this question in a practical spirit and establish local 

 production throughout the Amazon Valley, it is neces- 

 sary to insist that every labourer should cultivate a 

 patch of ground large enough to supply his own needs. 

 This entails trenching severely on the truck system, 

 and therefore it will be the cause of a great deal of 

 opposition on the part of owners and managers of prop- 

 erties; but unless some such measures are enforced 

 the future existence of the rubber industry will be 

 seriously affected, and it may even reach the point of 

 being threatened with almost complete extinction in 

 many districts. 



