New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-08

Current opinion III this country regards the
new Mexican railway enterprises with consid-
cradle interest. The fact that these undertake
lngs are OF American inception and are being
pushed 10y American capitalists and American
engineers causes them to be regarded witt,
some feeling of National pride There is also
an expectation OF commercial advantages to dow
to the United States from being brought into
rail communication with our sister Repnblic.
which gives a practical bearing to the subject.
Our manufacturers and export merchants cx-
pect to profit largely by the opening of the
markets of ten millions of people 90 their worcs
and products. We believe the authorizations Of
marked benefits to follow to both nations from
these public works are well founded. and thin,,
that the Importance of connecting the chief
cities Of Mexico with trunk lines leading to our
frontier, and there meeting our own system of
railways is not at all exaggerated. We wish TO
suggest, however, that the business of building
local lines in Mexico on the strength, largely. of
promised subsidies from the Mexican Govern
ment, may be pushed too far to be profitable.
Almost every week or two we hear of some new
concession Deing granted to an American COM
pany, accompanied by Government aid in tbe
shape OF bonds, to be issued somewhat ON the
same system that our Congress adopted tn
and Kansas Pacific Railroads. The latest mans
OF Mexico represent its territory as pretty we'll
gridroned with railroads constructing or pro-
Jected. People who are asked to embark money
i'll these undertakings wonld do well to stop and
study the character of the Mexican populotion
and the financial condition of the Government.
before they accept hasty estimates of the prob
able revenues of the projected lines.
ic frun hat
lions of people, and that pror to the beginning
OF the present remarkable railway movement il
was practically without steam transit Gnes
having but single road in operation-tbe one
from the capital to Vera Cruz. But the bulk
OF this population is crowded upon q comnora-
lively small area of territory, the rest of tbe
country being quite sparsely settled. Five of
the twenty seven States of the Republic have Il
population of less than 10000 each. tcn
others cannot count 200, 900 inhabitants each
Furthermore, the population is not of q kind
10 furnish much business per capita to rail-
roads. recent authority, the "Statcsmon's
Year Book for 1881, ," estimates that 8. OOO. 600
or one-halt OF the entire number of inhabitants
are OF pure Indian blood, and that the mixed
races embrace all of the remainder save
100000 persons, who alone can claim to be of
European lineage The bulk of the pconIe ara
very poor, and the number in any given district
who have money to travel, or produce any s,,r-
plus OF articles for export, is very small.
somewhat analogous condition of affairs. al
though not nearly as discouraging, NAV be
found i'll our own Gulf States where the nogro
element predominates. Local railroads in thos.
States would hardly pay running expenses if il
were not for the profitable business of hauling
cotton, which, by reason of its great value in