CECLASSMED. than gained support by its policy of steady and indiscriminate attacking of the Government.
It has become increasingly evident of late that the most serious situation which the Administration has to face is the high cost of living which now obtains in Costa rica. The living cost index has been rising in recent months and, according to the Banco Nacional, in October it reached the highest level ever recorded. This situation naturally affects the people in a way that they can understand, and its effect is, of course, most serious on the working classes. For that reason it is not surprising that the past two weeks have seen considerable agitation on the part of both Father Núñez Rerum Novarum unions and the Vanguardia Popular Party for Governmental action to reduce the excessive cost of living. Father Núñez recently told a member of the Embassy that his organization was discouraged with the apparently inept attempts of the newly created Junta de Defensa Económica to control prices, and on November Núñez sent a public letter to the Junta stating that the Rerum Novarum felt that there was great popular discontent with its functioning and offering to provide, at no expense, members of his unions to act as inspectors and help enforce price regulations. Two days later Núñez directed another public letter to the Minister of Finance in which he stated that the Junta should incorporate a representative of Labor in its body since it was the laboring class which was being hardest hit by the high cost of living.
The Vanguardia Popular Party has also of late been devoting more time to the increased costs of living and the scarcity of basic foodstuffs.
It will be recalled that the Vanguardia opposed the abolition of the Juntas de Abastos, the former price control agency, and has previously expressed its dissatisfaction at the operations of the Junta de Defensa Económica.
The November ll issue of TRABAJO headlined the difficulties of the workers in obtaining food, and demanded that the Government take immediate steps to alleviate the situation. It also characterized the Government announced intention of importing basic foodstuffs from neighboring countries as merely a stopgap measure, and stated that the real need was for increased production in Costa Rica. Such production, it continued, could best be effected by making coffee growers, who had the workers, the imne land, and the credit, plant rice, beans, and other foods.
Following these declarations, Manuel Mora made a radio speech on November 17 in which he compared Costa Rica situation with that of other nations at war and called for increased production as well as cooperation of both Government and the people in the task of lowering prices. He also criticized charges, which have been repeated lately, that decreased production was the result of the Labor Code, which allegedly wiped out growers profits and caused uncertainty TRABAJO of November 18 further stated that the reactionary press was opposing the lowering of living costs for political reasons.
Nevertheless, the opposition press has also been outspoken in its criticism of the Government inability to assure sufficient production and control prices, and the DIARIO of November 19 published a scornful article asking why it was that in the nation great agricultural crisis the Minister of Agriculture was making a pleasure trip through South America. Señor Peralta, incidentally, returned to Costa Rica last week and, with the arrival of René Picado from the United States, the Cabinet is now again complete.
While