New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-07
Homes to Strike at Funda-
mental Causes of I'm
rest in Mexico.
SCHEME TO AWAKEN
LOVE OF COUNTRY
To Inspire Patriotism by Giving
tho Masses Land to Cultivate
for Themselves.
q. rniIIP IL. PNTCHIN.

T., PHILIP H. PtTCHi\.
.,....., civ. March 6.-ln the midst
,,,e muititu0nous vcXauons military
financial. which threaten on AL
ado. vic.orianc Hucrta has found time
n..ir the institution OF proSramm
,.r,sr.aa reforms bN which he hopes
mike 80 the fundamental economic
,r1i,ions which have caused dissatis-
,...ion anonc the masses and made
nrc,onced evolution inevitable.
Tho dictator has announced that he
homes. by giving the common people an
i,terest i'm the lands. to inspire patriot
,srn and root out the prime cause OF
aiscontcnt and of NcXico's long con-
unped civil and social CONFUSION.
Indians the Great Problem.
II IS contcndcd by observers here. 10
rhom Hucrtas reform programme
comes as complete surprise. that the
great problem confronting him IN the
application Of his plan is the Indian
population. whose social status. racial
tendencies and traditions preclude any
possibility Of their adaptability 10 a
representative form Of government for
several generations.
Porfrio Diaz recognized The neces-
sjty for a division Of the great estates
and government lands. the latter com
prising one-tenth of the area Of the
country He suggested no direct ac-
ton, however especially in the case Of
The great haciendas of a million acres
or more. which undergo only sufficient
cultivation for the production of rove
nues which keep the owners i'm OK
travagant luxury while the Indians do
the work on such a low wage scale as
10 render them practically slaves.
Madero promised reforms and then
retracted them Now Huerta has taken
NJ the cry for national economic bet
terment and is pushing tho project
with AN his characteristic energy and
enthusiasm lie has instructed Senor
Tamariz. the new Minister of Agricult-
urc. 10 draft law which will be pre-
sentod to Congress when it meets next
month
senior Tamariz discussed the plan
freely here tonight. and apparently is
as much impressed with it as is his
superior.
Favors "Mctayer" system.
1T is a notable fact" said Minister
Tamarz that in those Mexican states
where the French 'metayer' system pre-
walls there is no hint Of revolution.
The people arc happy. contented and
prosperous The 'metayer' system is
in vogue I'm Guanajuato, Jalisco, Quere-
tario ond Aguascalientes. and We hear
only rcassuring reports from those dis
IfctS.
we believe that if the Indians are
given an interest in small bits Of land
where they can raise crops and eXer-
else ownership they soon will be build
INK homes, rearing children and ulti-
mately Will come 10 love and have
pride in peaceful possessions. This is
the sort Of condition from which true
patriotism arises.
The harmful concentration Of landed
property cannot be dissolved by vio-
lent means If we took what belonged
70 some TO give il 10 others il would
he purely an act Of spoliation. 1t
would breed dlstrust among property
owners. foster new dissensions and re-
new class hatred.
Even now there il p spontaneous
tendency toward a division Of lands.
but the initiative OF private parties is
insufficient to effect any rapid changes,
and a the present time there is lacking
The capital necessary 10 such a huge
project
The government, however. must en-
courage this growing tendency. The
present distribution and application Of
TIE land taxes IS inequitable. appraisals
ere deficient. and the tax assessments
correspondingly unfair. This condition
must be wiped out. and the taxes ad-
ministere1 hereafter on a basis Of actu-
81 land utilization. This, we believe, is
lo correct solution Of Mexico's land
problem
Tsmartz enthusiasts believe that the
earliest possible execution OF his plan
IS necessary II it is 10 be the powerful
factor In re-esta blishing peaceful con-
diions, which is the claim advanced
Tor II. and these prophets have a large
following. This conviction is plainly
INC one uppermost in Huerta's mind.