CHERAN: a sierra TARASCAN village — BEALS 



73 



Comment: The average daily return is an estimate, 

 based on the assumption the tanner is busy all the 

 time. The only full-time tanner buys hides, tans them 

 on his own account, and sells them outside the village 

 when he is not occupied with commissions. Con- 

 sequently, his income is probably fairly steady. 



Lacquer: 



Weekly income about $5 



Comment: Only one woman lacquer worker is found 

 in Cheran. Her entire output is sold locally. The 

 figure given is her estimate of her weekly income. 

 Some of the lacquer materials are fairly expensive and 

 the wooden trays used as a base must be purchased. 

 Probably net income is much less than $5 weekly. The 

 main lacquer industry is in Uruapan and is mostly in 

 the hands of Mestizos. 



Bakers (commercial) : 



Cost of ■materials (per iveek) : 



Flour, 1 arroba (25 pounds) . . $;i..'(l-.$3.C2 



Lard, 1 kilo 1.50 



Sugar, 3 kilos 1.08 



Total $6.08-$6.20 



Labor: 



No precise data; bakings per week, 

 usually 3 



Sales : 



Gross returns per week, 



estimated $10.00-$12.00 



Profits: 



(Estimated after deducting any 

 rental costs for use of oven) $3.80-$5.02 



Comment: Sustained sales at the reported levels 

 ■would produce slightly better than average wages. 

 Despite the lack of definite data on hours of labor, a 

 baker certainly works fewer hours and less strenuously 

 than a laborer. Much time is probably consumed in 

 selling; this may be done by a wife in the case of pro- 

 fessional male bakers. Selling time is not included in 

 the estimates. It should be remembered that a number 

 of women bake occasionally; some bake regularly for 

 the Sunday market in Paracho. 



Bakers (home) : 



Aside from the professional baker of pan didce 

 recently established in the village and from whom no 

 satisfactory information could be secured, there are a 

 number of women who bake bread. Salt rising bread 

 (pan de sal) is sold at two for 5 and one for 5 centavos, 

 depending on size. If pan diilce is made, it sells at 1 

 centavo or at three for 5 centavos, depending on size. 

 In most cases the baker owns her oven, but in some 

 cases an oven is rented. The rental is usually one 

 bread for each "board" (on which the bread is placed 

 to rise). 



Threshing machine: 

 Equipment: 



Woodburning steam-driven threshing machine. 

 Cost unknown, but probably several thou- 

 sand pesos. 

 Charges for wheat threshing (a carga) ^ $2.50 



Capacity daily 12 caryas 



Income daily $30.00 



Operating expenses (daily) : 



Wood $2.00 



Hired labor 2.00 



Water carrier 1.00 



Total $5.00 



Operating season (June 20 to Oct. 25, 



period worked in 1940 estimated) : Dam 



June 8 



July • 25 



August 25 



September 20 



October 15 



Total 93 



Total business (1,116 cargas, estimated, at 



$2.50 a carga) $2,790 



Net profit annually before deducting re- 

 pairs, wages for owner, interest and 

 depreciation, approximately $2,365 



Comment: Probably the threshing machine has the 

 largest peso volume of business of any enterprise in 

 Cheran, although one of the nixtamal mills probably is 

 a close second. The threshing machine also represents 

 the greatest capital investment except for some indivi- 

 dual investments in real estate. High repair costs 

 probably reduce the true net profit considerably, while 

 depreciation in this case cannot be ignored. Add to 

 this the time and skill required of the owner, and it is 

 probable that this is not the most profitable enterprise 

 in town even though it be the largest. Certainly, other 

 families of farmers or combination farmers and store- 

 keepers show more outward signs of prosperity. 



Nix ta m a I m,ills : 



Cost of equipment $300.00-$1200.00 



Costs daily: 



Gasoline and oil 



for gas engines 2.00 



Charcoal for producer gas 



equipped engines 1.20 



Labor, 1 man .80-1.00 



Gross income at 1 centavo per 



kilo of maize ground (daily) 13.00-15.00 

 Net income (daily) 10.00-12.00 



Continent: Mills work only half time; i.e., by agj-ee- 

 nient only half the mills operate any one day, so net 

 income should be halved. Even so, this gives a sizable 

 income, but probably the life of the equipment is short. 

 Cost of repairs and the replacement of grinding stones 



