New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-31
MEXICO


perity. Much waste occurs and large sums are made
by the mint contractors and hear that with say
ing management on their part both the Government
and the miners might be spared loss. There ten
OF these minis. Mr.. Bias Balcarcel, the Minister Of
Fomento, who holds about the same Office rs score
tary of the interior reports that their whole coinage
IN ten wears, ending with 1861 amounts 70 the sum
OF $S3 406q0S This is at the rate of little more than
$lS3496,G year. out Of which the Government re
ceives, in coinage and mila ral duties che sum Of
S2}5 900 Reckoning for contraband trade the whole
mineral product cannot be less than $20Oo0Ooo h-
teen sixteen millions OF which 70 ont of the re
public Mr. Balcarcel fails TO notice the instructive
comparison OF the last ten years figures with those OF
the ten years previous. They differ very slightly.
From 1916 10 1916 the Mexican minis coined an aver
age of $lS6 Gl5 annually only little more than one
hundred thousand less than the coinage l0r the past
ten wears: that the mining industry Of McNco has
been. in fact at a stand stli m that period and now
waits its impulse 10 go forward. Some other hVurts
of Nr BalCarccis report are interesting. There are
eeht saline districts M the republic most of which
are extensive and rich so that there ought 10 be
trouble obtain the salt necessary m the reduction
of silver ores when the country is once well opened
Several cOalhods ana petroleum fields have also been
discovered. One of the coal-heds Is nm Pucba; the
petroleum rs ma OaNaca. Iron has been found in iour
States. and IN most Of them toundercs on f1T01dS,
already exist II is evident that Mexico is naturally
provided with the materials she needs 60 make her
great mining country, If she VIII only lay hands ON
them and usc them.
The country is still perpexed with the extraordi-
nary concession of the Vera Cruz Railroad. This has
formed the parliamentary cause Of the nation. and
has already been year under discussion he dlt
fculty IL involved was three-iod FIRST the Kali
road Company ~ charged with having been spend
Thrift OF Mexican money. Second, the reCouCCsSion
granted by the Government wascNtlaVageut lhrd
Congress felt itself bound 10 undo national con
tract made while the President had ample powers
4 fourth trouble might Ice mentioned IN the iact
that Congress did not decide the matter ni once
instead al consuming whole year over IT, Wheh ie
everybody knew, railroad 60 Vera cruz was me
most imperative need of the country. Sull much rs
10 bc said for Congress }y sheer force of ciicum-
stances the Vera Cruz RAILROAD business mao become
an clcphantiuo hluudcr Its inception dates back
almost to the year 1870 and still the road rs not hut
I'm process of time II came into the hands nt McNi
can millionaire who aiterwad became p",Se-I,'i Oh
= 100000 OF Government bonds Tor very small sum
Of money Six of these eight millions came 10y rui-
chase into posse ssiOn Of the present Railway Com
pany along with the right TO build the road II Us
avouchcd that more than s55O0O00 had been given
10y the Mexican Governments To- the various parties
owning the road up Ia the time otthe JuMez reSt0ra
ton. About one-third Of the &01Ro miles az road
had been built, and this wanted repairs. According
10 the company owning this fraction was supposed
10 represent capital Of SoVheO n was custom.
arily said that certain stretch OF the t0ad couu
have been laId ia silver with the money expended
ON it-uOt however. hy the present Company, or out
Of foreign pockets The Company appear 10 havo
received reconcession from the empire along with
nearly fzJ0UuO of subvcnl0n With the help OF THIS
snm and l. IS than two millions applied 90 the rai-
WaV Of 40 OF ID miles from NftA 'iN ~ mo iitH'H
and also derived from the NJ ucan purse, they man
aged "a exc ont oncthird Of the road TO the coast
What the Company spent on TIE road would seem 20
be something between the $iJ0OVO which Mexico
gave to 10, and the 100000 a. which the Company
values the fraction described.
IL is not strange that IN times OF revolution money
is wasted but DC would boz strange if MeNcans DAD
not now understand how much NJ their own money
had gone INTO Tins railroad scheme. lilo moro curt
part Of Its history is 20 be told In November
last the Government, urged By l1c direct need oi q
railroad 10 the coast when should 10 as good Ion S
peace rs the reinforcement of an army. signed re-
concession TO the English Company The fact that
the English railroad owners had taken grant from
Macmillan was set down TO business necessity. and
not reckOned against them. The Government gran
ed them in addition 10 ordinary railroad nights. M
Guiding the title of mineral lands on the way. the
sum Of SJOO0O annually for = years tine right 10 eN
port transport an materials for the road Tree OF m
terror or exterior duty during Ten years me IiRht
10 charge passengers ten cents per nie and ifcghl
IN proportion the right ~ issue shares 10 Ice taken
20 the extent Of - per cent ~ payment oi custom
House duties The annual $4,000 was made sure Dy
giving the company the % per cent OF seaport du-
ties devoted 10 works Of material progress. Paper
would he issued therefor by the Government, con
signed 10 the company, ana Iecti'ou pacn ~ ~
charge of tariff IL is calculated tnat, wbat WIN Tue
- years suhvention, the 70 per cent shares ana the
nj aht Of expectation, the Government Would pay the
company 81 10000 which, added to the sum fetdy
spent on IT, would render the expense retrospective
and prospective of the Government $61l3uol. We
can easily see why reyOlutiOnized and dlscredted ma
f0nalities should have 20 allow onc-5ided bargains
WHY Mexico should consent O great cost ln oIdfr 10
once fulfilled why she shonld nave 80 hiRny ~ iTtu
her railroad as 90 have forgotten her pocket Inc
money spent on putting down snall tcFolls mere duu
there shows tie value OF r.uHoadN To UIhNp'it
soldiers aud import peace with industry but we
also plainly see why Congress should nave thouRht
the concession too good bargain Tor the Engi'h ana
too had % one l0r the MeXcaus.
Nj ZamacOna Premier and editor OF the Gtobo,
has eat hcrcd into able and eloquent speech the
whole force Of the attack made on me in,ioan'
His arguments are that the manner on giving SubFch-
ton 10 the road Illuminating 10 the hdtloh iat t
ouRif not 10 be- given such suspicious bNahtaRr. ~
the principal seap0rts that u ehacts deg"lhg
,ureties such as the issue Oi bonds Tor
customs payment that It's freight charges are excess
I'VE. that altogether too much money and privilege
Will have been gwen by the Government 10 ne
Touching the subject oi passenger ts'l luu
br would have the former Onehat less man me pres
nf ten cents pr mile and the latter when ls De,
tween three and four times what ~ ~ l me ohli'
STATES u proportion. Taking ~ "A basis the actual
buslncss done in transportation chiefly Toy W"H"hs
and mules between here and Vera Cruz ne slllnat's
that the road viii yield yearly prom oi - 'pCW9
ana ,,nouuf assured Dy "a revenue stipulated Tor m thc
bond of ~ per cent per annum on capial Oh $500
90 OF course then, there can be no heed OF cAoIDi-
fauf fr.iQhtage. One article OF the cphcfS-"H pl,
crlrs that The subventiOn shall be- fully phd' WIN
ont ever being subject tO suspension "h'lc-
moon Mr.. Iamacona quotes one OF lhe ~
ficles al a Kansas railroad wherein Congress ciaimH
~ any time not ignoring the rights Oi the company
managing the rOad the right % add alteI al,eI yl
revoke It's decree. and he further coht'hus VIII
emphasis that such article - eAWts5'u ~ ~
rairosd privileges uven in the lDlteo STATES ,Ils
bushes 10 think that the English Company as s.
no such securities Of the Empire ~ u de,nhos u enI
Conpapy reduced Us tariff ~ per cent for the former
and bnt ~ for the latter perhaps because 20 sympa
fhized more with the destruction o. Me1lGshS enan
with their salvation. Abiding 10 the hrD'- unuci
which the Company has staggered, and the uncei-
tnty I'M part Vi It, character aud capital ne 5peakS
of M as q phantasinM organization ana Dtks Ms
" .,.,,e moi 10 give IL nOnstrOus subventions, ~
lent in payment Of II the conditions OF
swindling debtors. but 10 save tbeit c2 Gun,
- INTO = british bargain. Several remarks
- the orator ,eem extreme but are not nnproyoke',