The record-union., 1895-08-03

dence of the proprietor he would lind
himself walled about in a manner to sug-
gest the stronghold of the medieval baron.
The extent of the estate he would find
not less than that OF the barony, and the
authority of the later lord equal to that
of the earlier. He would find the poems,
who live on the estate, as dependent as
were the serfs, and their methods OF
working quite as crude. Contemporary
illustrations show tile medieval serf
working with rude hoe, but the Next
can serf in completing the work of Guilt
waiting the corn after the piOw often uses
only his hands. The desire of the modern
feudal lord, moreover, to preserve his
estate entire for his descendants, regard
less of economic considerations, appears
to be as strong as it was III his European
predecessor; and it is this which stands
as the chief hindranoe to q speedy revo-
lutionizing of rural life and cultivation in
the especially fertile parts of the coun-
try, such as the region about Guadala
jara, or on the eastern slope between Tam
pico and San Luis Potosi.
1t is clear, therefore, that while the
building Of the railway sets aside one of
the hindrances to more extensive cultiva-
ton, the other remains. The owners of
the large estates are several degrees re-
moved from the economic man" Of the
economists. They do not proceed in
the line of the greatest pecuniary gains.
The satisfaction OF mere possession,
and of the thought that the later genera
tons of their families are assured indie
pendence, counter balances all other con-
siderations. If they produce enough for
their own wants and the maintenance of
their numerous servants and other de-
pendents, they find no inconvenience in
the fact that large part of their lands
are not under cultivation, and produce
little or nothing. Ir they produce moth
ing they are not taxed. Taxes come only
with prod uction. The obstacles to more
extensive and complete cultivation in
volved in this system may not be re-
moved by showing that superior eco
nomic gains would be had in case of
their removal. for, as suggested. the pro-
prietors are not amenable to the consider
alton OF maximum gains.
If Mexico's rich lands are to be fully
utilized ana abundance to reign. her me-
dieval system of landholding and agri.
culture must be modernized; the great
estates must be divided, and the prize of
independence held out to the agricultural
laborers. This is not statement based
on mere speculation; it is emphasized and
confirmed by tue affairs of every nation
that has achieved for the bulk of its citi-
zens noteworthy degree of prosperity.
And the means are not in the hands OF
private persons or railway corporations,
but in the hands of the Government, and
should be applied in the form Of gen.
eral tax on land, sufficiently heavy to
make it extremely inconvenient for one
to hold thousands of acres of fertile land
without cultivating it or putting it to
some productive use. But here is til Q
rub; the Government Is an oligarchy
topped by a despot, and the members o (
the oligarchy, or the class to which
they belong. are the great landholders.
and naturally have no desire to impose a
burden on land which would make the
holding Of their estates in their present
form practically impossible. Yet this
measure properly carried out would en-
able the Government to relinQuish some
OF its petty imposts on manufacturing
and trading, which at present discourage
business without bringing to the State
large returns. 1t would, moreover, tend
to throw certain lands into the market in
those parts of Mexico which are most de-
sirable as place of residence.
But there are certain forces at work,
which, even without q tax, will tend to
bring Mexican lands into the market and
cause them to be divided. One of these
is the railway companies, who are d.
rectly interested in having this end
reached. They are interested in it, be-
cause it will increase their local traffic in
both freight and passengers; and most Of
these companies have had already suf-
ficient ex perience in their business to be
able to see clearly that they must rely tor
the support OF their undertakings on the
local instead of the Through traffic.
The railway company In Mexico that
bases its expectation of degree of sue
cess superior to that OF the other COM
panies, on the fact of having the shortest
line between New York or Chicago and
the City of Mexico is bound to be fooled,
unless it has equal or greater advantages
than the other companies IN local bust
ness.
These facts clearly seen are leading
some OF The companies to put forth extra
ordinary efforts to secure such control of
lands adjacent to railways that they may
sell them in tracts of the sizes desired by
immigrants. The railway companies or
other Combinations of capitalists. in
which the railway companies are inter-
ested, are the only persons VINO are in q
position to make the original purchase;
for III some places, if the sale is made at
all, tie whole OF an estate of say two hun
dred and fifty thousand acres must be
sold. The railway company or syndi-
cate must be the middlemau, and may be
expected TO make a profit on the portions
sold. This will be necessary to cover the
loss OF holding comparatively worthless
tracts that remain unsoid, or if sold bring
not more than the original purchase price.
Ii railway company thus becomes O
trader in real estate, it will expect q
permanent source of gain in an increase
OF its regular business.
\ syndicate has nearly completed its
negotiations for the purchase of q large
estate OH the line OF the Tampico branch
of the Mexican Central Railway, which
embraces a magnificent valley at the boz
tom OF the first great descent from the
tableland. 1t ought to be attractive to
settlers. if soil and climate and scenery
can make any place attractive. and if
things cultivated will grow ~ things un.