LATIN AMERICA: Ecuadorian Salt Riot

At Cuenca, provincial city in the highlands of Ecuador, the shirtless grew vexed last week at the high price and scarcity of salt. A mob, knowing a certain government warehouse to be well salted, attacked it, were repulsed by the police. Four rioters were killed.

Foiled, mob-leaders plotted an attack next day on a train scheduled to arrive salt-laden at Cuenca from Ecuador's chief port, Guayaquil. Having heaped large stones and timbers upon the railway track, they foolishly sought to make assurance doubly sure by cutting the telegraph wires. At Guayaquil, the authorities, warned by telegraph trouble that something was amiss, placed armed guards upon the salt train which easily scattered the attacking peasantry.

Salt taxation has been since the earliest times a favorite method of governmental enrichment. Ancient Rome set the World its first example of a government farsighted enough to attempt to decrease the price of salt to its citizens. At first, each Roman legionary received a daily allowance of salt; later this was paid in "money to buy salt" (salarium), from which the modern word "salary" is derived.