From: Porto Felis, Brazil
8 June 1931
Esteemed Staats-Anzeiger!
Because the dear friend and correspondent, Isidor Leinz from Krasna, Bessarabia has asked us to describe our local conditions, we want to comply with his request and render a short description of Brazil, which without a doubt will interest many other readers of the newspaper.
Well now, the size of the United States of Brazil is 8,550,000 square kilometers. Brazil is sixteen times the size of the current Germany and almost as big as all of Europe. It is a federal republic consisting of 22 states, one federal district, and one territorial area. The capital is Rio de Janeiro. The president is elected for four years. The cabinet consists of six members. The legislature is controlled by the national congress, which is formed by the senate and 63 members. Every state has a governor and a legislative body.
For settlement by German farmers, only the southern States, Rio Grande, Santa Katharina, and also Parana are suitable. The northern States because of their tropical climate are not suitable for Germans. The size of Rio Grande Do Sul is 236,553 square kilometers, almost half the size of Germany. The capital is Porto Alegre. Santa Katharina’s size is 74,156 square kilometers. The capital is Florionopolis. The size of Parana is 221,319 square kilometers, similar to Rio Grande. The capital is Kurityba.
The situation with schools and churches, if yet poor, is fairly well regulated. Because the parochial districts are very large (There are ten or more chapels in one district), church services cannot be conducted everywhere each Sunday. As a rule, a clergyman will visit each chapel once a month.
The land is usually sectioned off in parcels of 25 Hectars (100 Morgen) (62 Acres). A piece of land like that depending on location and soil condition costs anywhere from 3,500 Milreis to 5,000 Milreis. The payment requirements to the company are about as follows: Down payment 7,000 Milreis, and the rest over 4 years at 7% after 4 years 12%, etc.
The main products here are: Welsh corn, rice, potatoes, beans, tobacco, mantioka, clover, sugar cane, and of special importance, hog breeding. Lard and tobacco are the most marketable products in our jungle.
Annual federal tax is13 to 15 Milreis from the colony, other than that, there are no further obligations. It should not be forgotten that earnings are very low here, because almost all people here are poor. The land is still new; Porto Felis is only seven years in existence, and Porto Nova is five years old. The latter is a Catholic region almost exclusively settled by German Catholics.
Young, single farmers can, before they are on their own, stay with older colonists for some time. In doing so, they get to know the land and the people, and become familiar with cultivating the land. Depending on ability, the wage is 50 to 100 Milreis per month. Competent and experienced craftsmen are very much in demand in Brazil. They have a daily income of 12 to18 Milreis.
The main industrial businesses are textile mills. Stockings, matches, cigarettes, shoes, and brushes are produced in large factories, and canned goods in packinghouses.
Our Brazilian currency is the Milreis, which usually is 8 Milreis to the dollar. Recently the value of the Milreis has dropped sharply, so that one has to pay 13 to 15 Milreis for the dollar. We hope that it will climb again. Should anyone of the readers want to find out more about this, then please write to us.
Recently, I received a letter from my brother in Canada who wrote that he wants to pay for the Staats-Anzeiger for me. I do not know if he has already done so. Hopefully, my brother will do us this favor, because from here it is difficult to pay. As I mentioned, the value of the Milreis has dropped sharply. (Editor: Unfortunately it has not been paid, and the name had to be cancelled.)
We say hello to our friend Anna Moldenhauer in Canada along with the request that she always should write to the Staats-Anzeiger, since we love to read her reports.
Further, we say hello to sexton Magnus Seifert and family. We received his letter and thank him very much. Mr. Seifert served as sexton in the Emmental community.
We let parents, siblings, and all friends know that we are still in good health here in the jungle. We would like to ask Mr. Adam Seifert to convey these greetings. For this he can earn himself a nice “thank you.” He should, however, also write to the Staats-Anzeiger, as should Joseph Paul, because we always like to hear something new from the old homeland.
In regard to the weather here, we just now have winter. But the cold is not severe. We only have to wear outer clothing in the mornings until about nine o’clock. By the time it is warm again we can walk barefoot.
The state of health in our region is satisfactory. We ask Mr. Isidor Leinz to inform the friends in Krasna that the newly arrived immigrants are all in good health and have conquered the homesickness. They have gotten used to the Brazilian culture in the meantime. Eventually, man can get used to anything.
With a greeting on both sides.
Anselmo and Martha Wagner