CHERAN: a sierra TARASCAN village — BEALS 



71 



Production: 



Less than 1 meter to nearly 2 meters a day 



Price : 



From 80 centavos a meter to $1.25; about 

 $1 a meter seemed most common 



Average return: 



From 80 centavos to $1.50 seems common 



Comment: Essentially the mason's wage is clear 

 profit. Replacement of tools is undoubtedly a minor 

 factor. Attractive as the wage is, a mason is idle 

 much of the time. It is doubtful if masons earn enough 

 to live on without also farming or working as laborers. 

 Some masons are also butchers, plasterers, or tejamanil 

 makers. 



Stonccutting : 

 Tools : 



2-pound iron mallet 



Chisels 



Calipers (value unknown) 



Labor: 



Nixtamal grinding stones (pair) 3 days 



Door bases (pair) 1 week 



Sales price {gross profit) : 



Nixtamal grinding stones (pair) $9 



Door bases and sills (each) 10 



Comment: The figures suggest a $3 a day gross 

 income, but stonecutters work only to order and do not 

 work regularly. 



TEXTILE MANUFACTURE 



Tule mats: 



Costs : 



Tules at Erongaricuaro, per bundle $0.25 



Rent of burro, 3 days 1.00 



Total cost of 10 bundles of tules (1 burro 

 load) 3.50 



Labor: Days 



Getting tules 3 



Weaving 13 mats GVz 



Selling mats 2V2-3 



Average total time 12 



Sales price at 60 centavos each $7.80 



Gross profit 4.30 



Daily profit per worker .35 plus 



Comment: Except for one woman, mat making is a 

 side line and only one a day is woven. The figures 

 given above represent the single case where a woman 

 spends all her time at mat weaving. Actually, this 

 woman has a slightly higher income, as her mother buys 

 the tules. On the other hand, two people are sup- 

 ported by the work, for the weaver has to rely on the 

 mother to perform most of the household duties. 



Hats: 



Cost of materials: 



Braid, 3 to 4 bundles at $0.30 to $0.40 



$0.90-$1.60 



Thread, per hat .15 



Sizing materials for white hats Unknown 



Total 1.05-1.75 (?) 



Labor, per hat 3-9 hours (approximately) 



Selling price, per hat $1.25-4.00 



Gross profit, per hat $0.20-2.10 



Return for labor, per hour . $0.06%-0.23 plus (?) 

 Return for labor, per day $0.00-2.10 



Comment: The apparently wide range of returns 

 for labor is misleading. Few men could work 9 hours 

 a day every day, owing to the need of getting firewood, 

 repairing the house, caring for farm lands, etc. The 

 more expensive hats, giving a much larger return, 

 require much more skill and are in very slight demand. 

 Ordinarily they are made only on order. 



In addition, hatmaking requires a large capital in- 

 vestment. A sewing machine of the type required costs 

 $40 to $50 second-hand, or rents at $10 a month. Hat 

 blocks last indefinitely, but do involve initial outlay. 

 Metal eyelets also must be provided for the ventilating 

 holes. If depreciation, interest on investment, and 

 minor expenses not calculated were taken into account, 

 the income of the average hatmaker would shrink still 

 more. 



When it is considered that two skillful hatmakers 

 claim only 1 dozen hats apiece a week, obviously the 

 returns must not greatly exceed those for ordinary field 

 labor. Only men who consistently produce and sell 

 hats above the $1.25 price gain real economic advantage 

 from their trade as compared with other activities. 

 On the other hand, if the trade is a supplement to 

 farming and is followed at times when similarly 

 situated farmers are at leisure, then they realize a very 

 positive economic gain. 



Embroidery, crochet, and drawn work: 

 Materials, thread from stores, cloth 



(estimated) $1.00 



Labor (part time) 1-3 weeks 



Selling price $4.00-$12.00 



Gross profit $3.00-$11.00 



Return for labor, per week $3.00 



Return for labor, per day $0.40-$ 0.50 



Comment: For part-time work, the daily return 

 seems, and probably is, high. In most cases the cost 

 of materials is probably higher than the estimate. 



Blanket weaving: 

 Equipment ;' 



Cards, life 3 years $8.00 



Spinning wheel, life indefinite 12.00 



Loom, life indefinite ? 



^ Spinning wheel and loom might be made by almost any man 

 with moderate skill in woodworking. Weavers usually make their 

 own looms. 



