Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-22
Government to Reclaim Acres
of Waste Territory.
ONE OF MADERO REFORMS
Bills Intended to Effect Change Not
Yet Presented, However.
CANCELS FISHING CONCESSION
Cabinet Decides Natives Should
Have Rights They Were De-
prived Of by Diaz.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

Correspondence OF the Associated Press.
MEXICO CITY. June 17.-One Of the
plans evolved by the government through
Its department Of public welfare coloni-
cation and industry, to provide arabic
lands for division among the people-one
of the chief planks Of Madero's revolu-
tionary Platforms under way. It con-
templates the drainage and filling In Of
the great bed Of Lake Texcoco, some
two and a half miles east Of the capt.
tai. The work will require five years,
1t Is estimated. and an expenditure of
100000 pesos ($2.OOO.OOO gold. Thou
sands of acres Of waste land, now partly
covered with water to the. depth OF two
feet and the remainder either useless
swamp or dry. sandy stretches. the latter
giving rise to the frequent dust storms
which sweep the capital in the dry sea-
son. are to be reclaimed. This land. &C.
cording to plans which are being worked
out. is to be placed on sale to individual
Mexicans at the lowest possible figure
and on long-term payments.
Lake Texcoco is the last remnant of the
once mighty body Of water which COW
cred the plateau and completely sur
rounded the ancient city Of Tenochtitlan,
now the capital of the republic. Legend
has it that somewhere in its depths the
treasure of Montezuma was sunk to pre-
vent its falling into the hands Of Her
nando CorteZ. 1t has been searched for
in vain during the hundreds of years
as possible. though hardly probable, that
1t will come to light in the conversion of
this lake bed.
Delay Presenting Bills.
Three bills. intended to put into effect
some Of the reforms which were promised
to the people by President Madero. were
not presented to the national assembly
because great deal of difficulty was met
In the legal technicalties of the meas
ures. Two of the bills dealt with the
land question and the third was an en-
ployers' liability act. The drafting of the
bills has been in the hands of Carlos
Trejo y Lerdo de Tejada. attorney gen.
eral of the federal district.
President Mader0S cabinet has decided
to cancel fishing concession on the east
and west coasts of Lower California aIul
the western part of the mainland granted
to the Mangara Exploration Company by
the Diaz government. The company is
British. and will receive $15O,OOO as in
demnity. 1t is stated that the canceling
of the concession has nothing to do with
the late Japanese talk. but is aimed
simply to return to the people on the
coast the fishing rights of which they had
been deprived, and which in many in
stances constituted their only means OF
livelihood.
The inherent politeness Of Mexican
referee nearly annulled the effect Of a
clean Knockout during a recent boxing
match in the capital. Incidentally the
row which followed the umpires dec1-
sion in favor OF the Mexican pugilist.
who was pitted against Jim Smith. a
negro, has resulted in an official ban on
the sport within the federal district.
Helps Victim to His Feet.
Circumference Aguilar. the Mexican. went
The umpire. carried away by the calam-
ity which had befallen the peoples idol,
rushed to his aid and was about to try
to put him on his feet
The count! The count" yelled half a
| hundred Americans in the audience.
Several seconds late the umpire remem-
bered his Office. and to all appearances
Aguilar was down and out. The umpire
then declared the blow foul because 1t
| had been struck after the gong sounded.
1t was pointed out that the gong was
| broken and could not be heard. but the
| a fuss that threatened to result in further
| fisticuffs.
In an inconspcuous place in the ma
tional palace. from which all pictures OF
| Gen. Porfirio Diaz have been banished
| by presidential decree, there remains
one which has escaped the notice of the
new government. On the window jamb
| of one of the offices set aside for the
| presidents private secretaries is pasted
| a picture about the size OF a postage
| stamp of the old warrior president 1t
| is surmounted by two flags. and over it
is legend reading Long live Porfirio
| Diaz.'