The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-03-21
issued in the future TO meet the cost
of extensions and improvements.

ISSUED in the future 70 meet the COS,
lof extensions and improvements.
Since the merger. the new system
has enjoyed great prosperity. ln-
stead of two main companies fighting
one mother for business. traffic is nov
so divided that It IS hauled 10 tha
orealest advantage of the new sys-
tenn. 1t is operated at a preat sa\tra
over the cid method. the demands for
rolling stock in proportion to business
handled being cut down. and the con
solicitations of office forces and other
Implications OF work beng in the in
terest of economical administration.
The operation of the National RAN
ways is turned over TO officials who
| operate them exactly as the officials
Of any other system. The compan
| enjoys no ADVANTAGES not given to
other railroad companies. and insteed
of being used to discoura e the con
struction of other lines. the system
s cited by the government as proof
that properly managed railroads IN
exico are profit-makers. The policy
of the is to give the Mexican
w~orkingman a chance. and while an
American is never removed for the
sole urp Of owing a job TO some
Mexican, it is the rule that wherever
there is a competent Mexican avail
able for an existing a he shall
be appointed in preference TO Il for
eigner.
The National Railways have been
yielding that are enabling
them to meet all expenses and fixed
charges and to ave a little left over
for the dividends of the preferred
stockholders. The nonth of Febru-
airy Of this year shows a healthy in
crease Of earnings over the same peri
cd last year. It is the firm belief OF
the managers of the Federal lines that
| eTarv aXDanfafinN of the n2rtipS RI
the merger will be exceeded, and that
the indicated growth of business dur
ing the decade ahead will be sufficient
to place the National Railways among
the list of highly successful railroads
of the world.
The vice-president Of the system, G.
r. Hudson, one of the best railroad
men in America, says that it is the in
%tention of the company to make its
trunk lines measure up to the best
standards Of r~ailroading in the United
States. 1t has just received a lot OF
magnificent oil-burning engines that
will compare f~avorably with the heavi-
est standard engines in use in the
United States, and it's main line tracks
have %35-pound rails. with rock bal
last. President Brown is an American
railroad man with a reputation for
building up the physical properties
Of the roads with which he has been
connected.
In addition to the operation of the
lines owned by it. the National Rail-
ways Company controls, through
stock ownership, nearly 1000 miles
of other lines. The government is also
interested in another line. known as
the Heart of the Tropics route, and
extending from Vera Cruz and TERRA
Blanca to Santa Lucretia. in the
southern part Of Mexico. where it
connects with the Tehauntepec Route.
This line was built by American capt
tai. anc by the Maryland Trust
Company, but the Mexican govern
ment secured complete ownership OF
the o by guaranteeing the $1,000
900, gold bond issue. This road Is
al Railways. but of course there is an
understanding with reference to all
matters OF mutual interest. The re-
~huantepec Route is also owned by the
| government.
The Pan American Railway, lately
taken over by the National Lines OF
Mexico, extends from Gamboa on the
an frontier, paral1elling the Pacific
Coast line. This gives the govern
ment direct control Of a through sys-
tenn from the United States to Guate-
nala. The Mexican system Of govern
ment ownership Of railroads has been
free from all the evils that the oppo-
nents OF such ownership have assert
ed would follow the acquisition OF
the railroads in the United States.
Whether it would be possible to copy
the Mexican plan in the United States
is a question, but the railroad situa-
ton in Mexico does afford q fertile
field for study on the part of the
political economists OF the United
States.