DECLASSIGEU Authority Stateletter Wahr me NART Date 2498 Agriculture, As Minister of Agriculture Señor Picado said he expected to appoint Señor José Joaquín PERALTA, who has been for some years a Member of Congress (generally neutral in his political views) and who has extensive agricultural interests. In his final address Señor Picado stated that he proposed to take various kinds of measures relating to agriculture. Ho mentioned specifically the advisability of developing technicians in agriculture, the creation of international markets for Costa Rica exports and the protection of the domestic market, He promised technical advice, tools, Seeds and easy credits to needy farmers. He plans, he said, to open up thousands of hectares of lands which are today useloss and create a new farming class protected by the State, found agricultural cooperatives, et cetera.
Economic and Tinancial Matters.
Señor Picado said that he had not yet decided on Minister of Finance, but that he was looking for a mani who, as he expressed it, could say no to everyono, including the President. He also wanted a man for this job who was acceptable to the banking community of San Josó. In this connection, Señor René Picado said they had sent word to Señor Jorgé Hine, President, of the Banco de Costa Rica, that they would be glad to have the nomination of any person agreeable to Soflor Hine and associates for this post. In this way they wishe to show their intention of obtaining the sorties of a finance ninister who enjoyed the completo confidence of the banking community.
In his last address Señor Picado recognized the mood, which has long been apparent, for a complete reorganization of the national budget. Ho declared that the budget must be balanced and adjusted to the real noods of the country. To use his words: The budget must cease to be a national industry designed to protect people without employment and must be shorn of every unnecessary aspect.
Our citizens must find means of gaining their livelihood through the stimulation of private enterprise and not become a burden to the people through a budgets which is out of balance.
In this same address Señor Picado stated, he favored the creation of a national industry although he recognized its limitations due to the small size of the country to plans to set up a Bureau of Industrial Development, with a system of credits to industry. sa to roferred also to the desirability of developing coomomie relations with the rest of Central America and with other countries of the Continent in order to open up now markets for Costa Rica products. He stated that he saw no reason why Costa Rica should not produce much of the cloth consumed here as well as coffee sacks, soap, medicinal products, certain food products, toilet articles and construction materials.
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