The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-13

As soon as matters become settled
and they are bound TO become settled
within a short time-the opportunities for
successful investment win be very great
1t Is now 20 years since your people be-
gan to send large sums to Mexico. and
you know have investments amounting to
many many millions of dollars. You
nave large interests in all of our indus
trial undertakings. You own the most Of
our mines and enormous quantities of
land. The right to acquire land is un1im-
tied, and there are extensive tracts await
ing the capitalist. I believe that the large
estates viii soon have to be divided They
will be laid out in small holdings and will
be sold on advantageous terms
There are many opportunities here
along manufacturing lines this man
continued. Mexico needs many articles
which she does not produce and which
could be protected by the tariff. Our cot
ton mills are making great strides and
at no distant date we shall be exporting
cotton cloth. We are now producing all
the sugar we need and we have surplus
for expectation. There is no reason why
we should not make our own iron and
will be one of our big businesses of the
future
How about your mines?f
Mining is one of our largest businesses,
and It is only at its beginning. We have
vast tracts of undeveloped territory and
our mines are steadily increasing in num-
Der and output. Our production of silver
last year was the largest to date, 1t was
worth SS9,000.000.
1.-The gold production was. over s4S,0o0,00o
and during that same year we produced
$4,000 tons of copper ore and $4,000 tons
of lead. Every one knows how the Pc
troleum product is growing. The yield
last year was more than two and one
half million tons, and it will be million
tons more this year. All of our indus
tries are receiving a great impetus by the
use of electricity. We have large num-
ber of water powers and these are being
harnessed and turned TO industrial ac-
count in various ways.
Mexicos New Electric Power Plants
In connection with electricity | want to
give you conversation | had with Col.
Eduardo Hay some time ago. Colonel
HAY is a civil engineer by profession. and
he is interested in large works in many
parts of the republic. He was educated
in the United States and he speaks En-
gllsh as well as | do. In talking OF the
possibilities of Mexico he tells that there
are millions of American capital awaiting
quieter conditions to come here He mas
now on his books so different projects
which lie has been asked to investigate
during the past three months. These em-
brace hydraulic power plants, electric
railroads and irrigation and colonization
companies Many of them Will be pushed
as soon as the present troubles are over
Among other things Colonel Hay said;
afca- IN "a
greatest fields of Investment of the Mex
leo of the future. This country is admir-
ably adapted to such a development we
have here high plateau which slopes
steeply dow non both sides TO the sea,
giving us many rivers with abundant
water power This is so both ON the AT
lantic and Pacific sides of Mexico. know
of one river which has 1000 foot fall,
forming a series of descents each of which
can be utilized There are other rivers
and streams of large size which Will de-
velop power and for which concessions
could be easily gotten.
LAS II is now, we have one power plant
within 80 miles of Mexico City which
furnishes 100000 horsepower That plant
is now supplying the capital, The Falls
of uanacatlan have been harnessed ana
there are other powers on government
rivers which could be easily developed
ssAll that is necessary is to make out
vour nlans and lay them before the au-
thorities depositing $500 in gold as bond
for CARRYING the mout. That is the basis
upon which all concessions are granted
in Mexico, and such concessions can be
acquired by the foreigner just as well as
Inv the native The deposits of earnest
money bear interest 1t per cent and they
are returned when the works are COM
pleted. The government must, of course.
approve of the working plans before the
concessions are granted
FRANK g. CARPENTER.