THE LEVEL AND COST OF LIVING 



167 



is so large that the people represented in the 

 sample are more than that. The fraction (roughly 

 1/49) is that large because in the sample there is a 

 disproportionate number of children 4 to 15 years 

 of age; however, these are 4, 5, 10, and 14 years 

 old, respectively, an apparently normal distribu- 

 tion, and I see no reason for giving greater or less 

 weight to the group. Therefore when there seems 

 no reason not to do so, I propose to multiply by 

 49 what these three families consume of those 

 things wherein the number of individuals is the 

 important fact and use that figure as a basis for 

 judging ^he consumption of such items Ln the 

 entire community. Each item will be individually 

 considered, however, and the various factors 

 weighed. Likewise, when I have data of only 

 two of the three famihes, I shall use a similar 

 calculation and multiply by 60 if the information 

 is on the consumption of families 58 and 49, and 

 111 if it is on families 49 and 37. 



The major difficulty for which I have no solution 

 is the application of the Panajacheleno standard 

 of living to the foreign Indian families resident in 

 Panajachel; in fact, except for those of the one 

 foreign family in the 7-day study, I have no good 

 data on their food consumption. 



{ly^^ Com}^'^ — Corn occupies by far the most 

 important place in the diet. Fresh corn on the 

 cob is roasted and also made into gruel; but the 

 ripe com, either toasted and ground and made 

 into gruels or, most importantly, boiled with lime 

 or ash and then ground and made into tortillas, 

 tamales, and various gruels, and combined with 

 other ingredients, is the basic food. Com is 

 important not only in the kitchen, but it is a 

 festival and gift food, and it is the chief feed of 

 fowl and pigs. 



Since it is the breadstuff, and a cheap food, the 

 poorer families use more corn relative to other 

 foods than do richer families. The figures for 

 family 58 include com fed to chickens (there were 

 no pigs) so the first adjustment of the figures for 

 table 67 subtracts 480 pounds from the No. 58 

 corn total. 



Families 49 and 58 consumed com evidently in 

 proportion to family size while No. 37 consumed 

 little more than half as much; the man is said not 

 to be fond of tortillas (and can afford substitutions 

 better than the others) and this may be the reason; 



'*> The numbers of the Items correspond to the numbers of table 67. 

 i» A full discussion of the preparation of food appears in my microfilmed 

 notes, pp 2S0-329. 



but it is also possible that he underestimated his 

 consimiption. Family 58 calculated on the basis 

 of 12 pounds daily (mcluding chickens). No. 49 on 

 4M pounds, and No. 37 on only 2 pounds. Another 

 informant in the middle of the wealth scale, with a 

 family of two men, one woman, and two young 

 children, said they used 5 pounds daily, which is 

 in proportion to that used by Nos. 58 and 49. 

 Family 1 reported using 25 pounds daily (but they 

 have many chickens and a pig and, besides, feed 

 many laborers). It must be concluded that 

 family 37 uses abnormally little com. An upward 

 adjustment of the total figure by about 15,000 

 pounds for the whole community probably takes 

 care both of this peculiarity and the skewness of 

 the sample; the correction is not so great that it 

 eliminates the possibility that other families may 

 be atypical in the direction of No. 37. 



Corn used in fiestas and gifts for the most part 

 replaces corn used in the home, since customarily 

 ceremonial food is sent to the houses of those who 

 are supposed to receive it. Yet, doubtless when 

 such food is available, more than the normal 

 amount is consumed. According to my calcula- 

 tions, 4,387 poimds of com are used in the calen- 

 drical fiestas by the officials. It does not seem 

 unreasonable to suppose that 1,000 pounds of this 

 is extra consumption. Food gifts for baptisms, 

 favors, etc., are less likely to add to total con- 

 sumption, and I shall leave them out of account. 



In addition, corn fed to paid laborers from out- 

 side the community must be added. It has been 

 calculated that 300 man-days of such labor are so 

 employed by the Indians, and the laborers given 

 food. Since many of these days are in milpa- 

 harvest work, when festival spirit prevails, doubt- 

 less something like 400 pounds of com would have 

 to be added to the total consumption. On the 

 other hand, local Indians who work for Ladinos 

 are only rarely paid in food, and I imagine that, 

 although 7,500 man-days are put in for outsiders, 

 this factor does no more than about balance the 

 other. The only additional disturbing factor that 

 I can think of that enters into the consumption of 

 com is that people on long trips and in market 

 visits, sometimes buy corn foods; usually, however, 

 they take their food with them, and I doubt if the 

 total consumption in the community is affected. 



{2) Lime. — Lime is used in softening com for 

 grinding, and the quantities of corn and lime 

 should be in some proportion. Actually, however, 



