The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-08-13
FfTHFR O'RETLLY IN SPAIN

of cvory part OF IL. Of the garden-like culture
which meets the eye ut every turn In tho laby-
riuth OF valleys Of the laboriousnoss and In
dustry Of tho population. OF the intolcrable
load Of taxation under which they gronn. and
the absence OF all kind OF announcement to
the agricultural. the tradesman. or the NOR
chant amid all this wealth Of nature.
There Is. however. one most wolcome.piece
OF Intelligence which am permitted to COM
nlvnicate to THE SUN. and which. doubt not
will DO of no ittlo interest to your commercial
c immunity. as II forecasts for yigo. for all Ca
licia indeed for all Spain. n new. a near. and a
brighter future. Tho illustrious Spanish en-
Gineer aud publicist. Don Melton Martin Is at
THIS moment In Vigo. employed by tho Govern
mont 10 mako the surveys necessary for rail-
ways. piers. docks. and wharvcs, intended TO
transform this magnificent harbor and bay into
the great mart for transatlantic traffic. Until
now Barcelona has been the great cotton man
ufncturng centre; to her wharves tho United
States annually send q quantity Of cotton infe-
rior uny to that imported by Liverpool But
barcelona Ia at the other extremity OF tho PEN
insuIa and to get to 1t our ships have
to 30 through the Straits OF Gibraltar and
all tho way up to tho Gulf of Lyons:
whcroas it Is now contemplated TO make
Viso the terminus Of the trade with America.
from which cotton will be sent by rail to Barco-
Iona and other manufacturing centres In Spain.
dalicia is more than any part OF the Ibcrian
peninsula more. indeed. than any country in
Europe-favoraby situated for the manufac-
ture Of cotton. Thore is coal in abundance in
har untouched mines: there is water power
rcady at hand in the numberless streams which
fertliXo her valleys and pour down from her
intricate not Of mountain ranges. But what is
mnTe precious still. the women OF Galicia are
tina most laborious. the most patient. the most
docile on the face Of the earth. They are our
daily admiration and that OF all strangers in
vls.o, thc'e hard working, uncomplainins self
saertii sing daughters of the ancient Gael
You iaust remember that Galicia ia the most
donsely populated portion Of Spain. there be-
tbs. square kliometrel. Hence the necessity
bors to Duenos Ayree and Montsvideo. whore
thoy have formed a Spanish colony of upward
degrading spectacle we have daily to witness Of
fOur. 1.-Two. or six girls and women dragging an
earth cart TO- fil empty lots n the lower part Of
ing 70 face any kind Of honest labor that may
outble them to support themselves or help to
maintain their aged parents.
Here, then: Are Iust the kind OF hands which
vigo with Madrid, and the branch lines diverg.
ing from this main trunk, have remained nm
Martin and the existing portions constructed
under his superintendence. as have indeed tho
Ti h S pWSSs IN spain ne is now
70 complete the Galician roads, and thus place
the great port Of Vigo in comn,unication with
NINA ed his surveys of the old and new 6ar-
bnrs here and sketched out the plans for four
Tlorp is AN abundance of excellent granite. OF
which indeed. the houses and public ediiices
both in Vigo and tho neighboring towns are ex-
docks win be soidiy built! '''''' "A"i ''' anu
In connectio with this plan Of the Govern
S"""s O Journal % psrrst u M Maa Hdns
Startling announcement that "a PROPOSE
ton has been made to the spanish Goyern-
most prominent Spanish companies, offering
t. execute within the shortest possible space
OF time, and In the name of the Treasury. all
the public works, now in project, provided that
ths spanish pay back the capital at the end of
meet Mr.. Martin daily, and from his CONVEX
s,tion | gather much precious Information.
lie 1t was VINO first drew the attention of the
ctthohral OF Seville and through his influence
inc arr nresent rel@irs have been begun under the
SPEAKS French and English perfectly He re-
minds mo singularly of the amented Frederick
L 81 rlny both in his Conversation, his works
OF spanish engineers and the foremost of Span
LIN wrItsrs on the labor question, He speaks
the loSt interests of his people. He says that
what the King at present lacks is experience.
which few years will give him. He is very eager
to obtain knowledge and quick to master it,
riiia ancient country is so magniilcently en-
lowed 10y nature that Spaniartls only need lib
eIty and cncou rRgenent in making their native
soil yield to the utmost to become one Of the
richest and most prosperous nations liz Europe.
II wore useless, were it not also most unjust
70 blame either the Spaniard's supineness or
ms religion for tho backward state of agricul-
tire OF industry; OF commerce. and of education.
7 he present backwardness in all these respects
h ~ been the result OF causes far different from
those alleged by religious or national preju-
q Gu. or imagined by the superficial observer.
The fact is that labor here has u great por-
ton oI the national territory to conquer from the
wilderness, and to force the whole OF il to pro
Theentire surface Of Spain measures 80 OO0- |
Dpnof hectares. or nearly 125,0cO 900 OF acres. |
30000.p0O of acres are covered with a vese-
tltion which worry little culture would make as |
tries IL oo0 O66 are adapted Tor ri the growth Of
t.s orange ing the Olive and the grape. 5000 900
NJ SI 5hs Sre Of t5Geo nd ns
o. inc m9st SUPERIOR quality. with system OF
of this total extent Of arabic land fully one
seventh or about lS,0O0,OuO of acres. is at |
the present moment unproductive. while |
YETI s IS ngTeg
tiTe is tho most advanced of the Industries in
) h.iE-by far the most developed of the i'm
'Hrier can Judge for himself from this simple
4lculation. About 80 900 900 Of acres IN Spain
sing 2o6 600 6oo Of bushels yearly. This would
va yield OF n little under seven bushels an
lire. Now, IN France the yield per acre Ia over
nr,y-one bushels. This inieriOrity. With ii soil
ild u climate SO much more favored. is duo
he Spnniarls themselves acknowledge ito
lie wrctchcd methods of cultivation in use
Are the cultyators Of the soil To i've held re-
'iiouSlbe for ths? Certainty not. When in
nm the readers of THE Sun that. while the
industries have been protected
" the law and very lightly taxed, the farmers.
IN the contrary. have been made TO support the
,rratcst part of the burden Of taxation and ma
iNnal expenses | am stating fact famiiarto
II! SpanIards and To all outside OF Spain who
re concerned with the statistics OF political
economy. The load laid on the shoulders OF the
I'ler Of the soil was so outragoously so iniqu-
OuSly diSproporiionHte that public opinion !
Dmpolled the Legislature to Tighten it. Still it
, simply intOernble compared with the
ayes paid by other producers. The present
NV imposes on all that the farmer grows and
uIscS "A tax OF twenty-0ne per cent But as
Ir. Martin tells me this is always so managed
~ the local assessors that il il almost invaria-
Nv raised 10 thirty or thrty-ive per cent. by
l,esc village tyrants. who thus shift the bur
lon OF their own shoulders! Remember. too,
hat not only has the farmer to pay the Govern
nrnt, but he has also to share with the land
'Wn"r, and then yOu can Judge how little re-
mains 10 him for his own support. And that
l;tc, how IL he to find a market for it in
huntry whore there ara only Il few trunk lines
u railway slow and enormously dear no wa
an f1NN IAbt |