New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-25
RESOURCES OF VENEZUELA.
ONE OF THE RICHEST COUNTRIES ON THF EARIh-
INvEsTMENrs MADE PRECARoUs BY AN IN

ONE OF THE RICHEST COUNTRIES ON THF EARIh-
INVESTMENTS MADE PRECARIoUs BY AN UN-
STABLE GOVERNMENT.
Don Jose Martinez, of Venezuela, who is now OH
q visit to this country, said recently TO Tribune
reporter: 1.-The resources OF Venezuela are I'M
mense There are fortunes lying ready 1or inc
hand of whoever will take them. Rich mines OF
copper are entirely unworked which would give
yield that would be astonishing. In some places
there are petroleum springs and forests oil mahos-
any. and other valuable woods can be bought for
almost nothing The climate is such that three
crops are raised in year. and labor can be had very
cheap Every plant indigenous TO tropical ell
mate grows in Irolusion. The climate is healthy,
the people are of reaccablc disposition, and the
year is one continual summer There are good har-
bors and the formation of the country is favorable
to the construction of railways.
But the curse of an unstable government is over
the whole land Every election is almost sure to be
a revolution. The natural Incidence and the love OF
Quiet and ease of the majority of the people rcnder
possible for a few turbulent spirits TO keep the
whole country in q fe ment. man once elected 10
office keeps 1t long he can Once in Office he
never gets ont until he is kicked ont. \ President
or Governor will be elected. and will at once begin
to lay plans for a reelection. He will stay III Once
two or three terms, the people looking on with IN
difference. BY and by his abuse OF power becomes
too much even for the easy-gomg Nenezuellans.
BY this time the official has strengthened his posi-
tiou so much that revolution is necessary to UNI
seat him. Then some one else is elected, and 1t Is
the same story over again. Foreign capitalists do
not dare under such circumstances to invest money
ill the country and so the mines are unworked, the
petroleum is unused aud the forests are uncut.
There was one company which started rail-
road from an inland coffee plantation TO the coast.
but the Government interfered so much that 1t was
Obliged to give it up There are thousand ways
in which the Government can break up an enter
prise of this kind If the road is owned by foreign
ers with whom it does not dare to interfere person
ally, it will, some fine morning, declare revolu-
ton TO be imminent and draft all the employees into
the army for a short time. This naturally inter
feres with the successful operation OF the road.
There is now only railroad in Venezuela tins Is
owned by an English company winch ~ working
copper mine and the road runs from the mine to the
coast. How the company has managed To struggle
along is wonder but II does. As for q native pl-
talist. he is liable to 90 10 bed at night worth
comfortable fortune and to awake IN the morning
TO find that revolution has taken place IN the
night and his property has all been coniiscated.
The trouble is generally more with the stale GoY-
ernments than with the Natl nal believe thai
Venezuela is. by nature, one OF the nchest couh-
tries on the face Of the earth, and one day when
our Government shall have ceased TO be in chronic
state of revolution her wealth will astonlsh the
world What we need most IL American influences
and American capital and enterprise"