98 IN'STITDTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 12 



I owed for the year. You appreciate being treated and surrounding area is relatively small. At the 



like that." same time, a few employments are remunerated in 



In recent years, the inflation in Brazil has in- this way. At present (July 1948), the wages being 



creased the need of local farmers, most of whom paid in the community for services are as follows : 



live on a bare subsistence level, for credit, not only 



to supply their families until a crop is harvested ^ ^. , ,,, j ^ . Cruseu-os 



cf J ,,,..,. J Washing clothes, per dozen pieces 3 



but also to purchase seed and such fertilizer ana 



machinery as they may use. "Farming is grand," Sewing : 



■ J ai A „i, i J ^„ „».„^;(- -5 To make a cotton dress 5-10 



said a young man, "but what we need is credit. ^ , .„ ^ ,. 



•' D 3 To miKP 3. silk drGSS _ lo 



"This land is nearly worn out," said another ^^ ^^^^^^ ^ p^i^ ^^ trou7erslII^^""Il]^'--- 8-10 



farmer. "I was thinking of using some fertilizer to make a man's or boy's coat 15 



on it. But it costs 95 cruzeiros a sack and I just p^^j^g Housework (1 person), per month 100 



haven't got the money." In emergencies, store- ^ , . . .v, ^ ,j 



'^ , •' ,. Working in the fields: 



keepers sometimes not only extend credit to custo- p r <o efa ' 2a-''5 



mers for purchases in their stores, but also lend per day, with food 10-12 



them small sums. Per day, without food 22-25 



In a community where contacts are primary and Cutting and piling firewood, per cubic meter 8 



everyone knows overyone else intimately, both the Working on the roads, per day 25 



Toi li ii i J! ii J! i Shoeing horses, four horseshoes (13 cruzeiros 



dimculty on the part oi the farmer to arrange a ^ ,. ^ , , , „ 



•' ^ _ ... to cover the cost of shoes) 25 



limited amount of credit and the possibility of loss 



1 n 1 1 ■ ■ , » Making brick : 



on the part of the storekeeper are minimal. At -^.„. . ^ ^, ^ , . , s 



^ . '■ Filling picador, per thousand bricks 30 



the same time, owing to crop failure or other mis- Mixing clay in picador and pipa, per thousand 



fortune, accounts may be carried on the books for bricks 15 



years. Wlien the bakery was sold recently, out- Molding bricks, per thousand bricks 24 



i J- 1 1 i i i 1 T ,1 /^/-,rt • /rt.r.cr^\ r\ Hauling bricks to kiln in wheelbarrow, per 



Standing debts totaled 6,000 cTO3e2TOS ($330). One thousand bricks 1_- 6 



of the storekeepers says that he is carrying at Taking care of kiln, per day (or night) 30 



present "close to 100 contos" ($5,500) on his books. Removing bricks from kiln and hauling away 



At the same time, an effort is beginning to be *° wheelbarrow, per thousand bricks 8 



made in the village to limit the amount of credit Laying brick By the job, 



extended. On a board hanging from the wall of ,-, ■ * i (emprei a a). 



. . . & & » 1.1X.-. .^ii ui. Doing carpenter work By the job. 



the principal lotequim, there are painted the words Calcimining By the job. 



vendo so a dinheiro (I sell only for cash) . Nearby Helping in a store : 



is tacked a piece of paper on which is printed, in i boy, per month 250 



pencil, in large letters, the following verse : l boy, per month, with food 180 



„„ , ,, 1 boy, per month, with food 120 



flado me da penas 



As penas me dfio cuidado Driving a truck, per month 1, 000 



Para aliviar-me penas Helping load and unload a truck : 



Nao posso vender fiado. , ., .^, . , „.„ 



1 person, per month, with food 200 



(Credit brings me worry 1 person, per day, with food 5 



My worries cause me pain ; j^^.^i^g ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^ev^on), per month___._ 1, 500 



To relieve myself of worry Collecting bus fares,' (1 person) per month, with 



1 do not sell on credit.) f^^^ ^^ 



A similar verse has recently been \i\xn<r on the Preparing a quarry for operation, per day ° 20-24 



wall at the bakery. These efforts, however, seem ' since speciaUz.itlon rarely has developed to the point where 



to be only half-hearted. The owner of the lote- ""^ ""^ p"""^"" ^p"'"''' ^" ''"' ""'"'^'''"s ""«' "' '^^^ """ ""i^'oy 



J ixcdiicu. AUB uwiiBi Oi uie COCe ment, UstinKs are by type of work done rather than by occupation. 



qmm, for instance, estimates that about a third of = see Glossary. 



his sales are still on credit ' ^^°^ l.OOO to 1,100 bricks is considered an average day's 



' work. 



The total amount of wages or salaries paid dur- ■* '^^^^ person also bandies mllk cans picked up along the 



inrr omr r,iiQ r^^-^i^l-. 4-^ _„ „ T • • J.T. •!! route and otherwise assists the driver of the bus. 



mg any one month to persons living m the village » Depending on the type of work. 



