The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-25
ZeIaya's Great Fortune.

Managua Nicaragua, December 24.- The magnitude of the personal saeri- flee involved in the overthrow Of Ze- lava from actual power and his pos sible flight from Nicaragua Is shown in the statement that Ee derives from various monopolies and financial ventures a revenue of $40000 Limited States money) per month. In the building in the Champ de Mars, which houses the minister of war. Zelaya conducts the monopolies of alcohol. tobacco. cattle, petroleum, hides. gambling, soap, can dies, ice and drugs, lumber for raii- roads,. fuel for lights. Hs has also con trolled the local monopolies existing along the Atlantic coast and covering traffic in guardiente, leaf and manufactured To- bacco, cocoanut groves and turtle nsn- cries In addition to these he controls the dock privileges at the piers of Cor into. Granada, San Jorge, Monkey Point. San Miguelisto and Fl Bluff, and the lease of the National railway and of the National steamship lines. Through some peculiar framing of the customs laws he also benefits from premiums on the exportation of coffee, lumber, gold, hides and rubber and from dutles of from 10 to 50 per cent on the iniportations or all sorts of manufactured articles.
 Among his other known interests are
  contract; the sugar refinrey of San An tonic: the blaming mills and the sale or property to Or by the government. lie also exacts a share in all concessions granted by the government in this man ner. is a large stockholder in the con sessions granted the Blueheids Co.,, James Dietrich, salazar. Emery and numoer of mining concessions. The system IS so perfected that no land owner can de-
 tr vol or to growing tobacco without the per mission of the trusts, created and con trolled by Zelaya.
 On the Atlanta side, Ielaya has op- erated through the business house of bo- peg & Marinez. Lopez is Zelaya's cousin and is now jailed by the revolution ists.
 The railways and steamers of the coun- try are managed for Zelays by his part ner, Julio Wiest. Swiss The con tract for the construction of the railway from San Nigel to Migueisto and thence to Monkey Point. which he controls through Wfest. costs the government s9l. 900 United States money per month
 The country has spent $00o,000 In the last three years on this line, and but four miles have been built.
 The national finances also have been used for Zelaya's enrichment. The system here has been for Zelaya to underwrite the government bonds at a large dis count and thsn to dispose of them to bankers at 50 per cent profit. It is con servatively estimated that Zelaya ap- propriated 50 per cent of all customs duties by the simple process of com polling payment of customs dues through compulsory purchase of government bonds of wlich he only is supplied. and which he sells at 50 per cent appreciation over par after having bought them at 40 per cent discount from par.
 Then, again. Zelaya operates a planta- tion in the Champ de Mars. which the soldiers of the garrison work for him. Alcther he owns in partnership with the comma ader of the penitentiary, and they divide the profits, the labor being convict labor, for which they do not pay. Through a dummy he has the contract for the new drainage system at Managua and in e similar manner he holds the con tract for the clothing and equipment of the army.
 Zelaya maintains a special office for the discounting of salaries of state em- p;uyes, paying the 70 per cent of their claims and retaining 30 per cent com nissions. To render this effective the