New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-02-20
Nearly $500 Freight Cars
and $50 Locomotives De-
stroyed in Revolutions;
Roadbeds in Fine Shape
u. S. Observers Impressed
Interesting Object Lesson of
Amount OF Abuse a Systen
Will Successfully Stand
BY John r. Barry

only 1858 freight eavs and 500 pas
senger coaches available for use on
the railroads OF that country, The re-
mainder had been swallowed up by
the revolutionary Moloch.
To emphasize still further the seri-
Gus condition of the railroads Of Mex
leo and the urgent demand for new
equipment, it must be borne in mind
that Of the rolling stock technically
"serviceable" q barge proportion is
merely patched up and tied together
with shoestring," as an American
railroad man expressed it.
American railroad men who have re-
Gently visited Mexico speak in terms
of admiration of two things: The con-
dition of the roadbeds Of many of the
lines, which are in extraordinarily
good condition considering that little
has been done on them in ten years;
and they have nothing but respect for
engines on long runs that no self-re-
speeding American engineer would
dare take out of the roundhouse.
Mexico to-day presents an interest
ing object lesson of the amount Of
abuse railroad system will stand and
still function. Howard T. Oliver, presi-
dent of the Oliver American Trading
Company, the leading operators of
private trains"-of which more anon
in the neighboring republic, who is
at present in New York Negotiating for
the purchase of large number of new
LOGON olives for use in Mexico, says:
"The railroads of Mexico are to-day
operating at less than so per cent eff
probably % per cent would
be nearer the Inark-but when we con-
slider the condition in which the roads
were left by the Carranza administra-
ton this represents a quite remarkable
achievement on the part of the new
officials who took charge of the roads
since last June"
Immediate Requirements
In July, 1920, Acting President de la
Huerta appointed Jaime Gurza, 8 we'll
known cotton planter of the Coahuila
district and one of the best known
financiers and business men in Mexico,
to make thorough study of the actual
condition of the railroads. Senior
Gurza submitted his report to Fran
cisco Perez, the present director gem
eral of the National Railways, in No
vember, 1890. The figures quoted at
the beginning of this article are taken
from the Gurza report; it has not yet
been published in the United States, to
the best of my knowledge.
"The immediate traffic needs of the
republic" according to Senior Gurza,
"call for at least 40 additional loco
motives and 5000 freight cars. The
securing of this necessary rolling stock
will mean an increase in revanue for
the National Railways of at least L.,
100000 pesos (about ST50,00o)
month, out of which the railroads will
be in position to make all necessary
repairs to the permanent way, stations,
ETC.. and have a surplus which will
permit of interest payments being
made on the bonds of the National
Railways"
The approximate cost Of the new
equipment is estimated in the Gurza
report as 35,000,000 pesos ($17, 500,000).
Between June and November, 1920"
he says, Orders amounting to 5,9A3,-
1853 pesos were placed in the United
States for repair parts of all kinds.
When this material is received it will
be possible to reconstruct $500 cars,
which will be ready for service by
July, 1921, the shops delivering ap-
proximately 800 cars a month, begin
ming with January, 1921. 1t will also
be possible TO reconstruct about $50
locomotives in the same period, de-
iiveries being made at the rate of forty
or fifty month, beginning with Janu-
sry."
External Needs Cared For
The 5000 cars and $50 locomotives
which Gurza considers athe immediate
requirement are for the internal traf.
Iic of the republic: He considers that
the agreement with the American Rail-
way Association for Ahe free passage
of cars into Mexico will take care Of
the external traffic needs of the
country.
Since the report was issued the
agreement with the association was
completed and thousands Of American
cars loaded with merchandise have
crossed the border. But other thou
sands of cars have been steadily ac-
cumulating at Laredo, Brownsville,
Eagle Pass, Ell Paso and other border
points, and cannot be moved into Mex
leo because of lack of locomotives. The
yards and tracks of the American rail.
way lines at these points are in state
Quence. az
To relieve this condition Francisco
Perez came to the United States recent
ly and made an arrangement with some
of the Southern American railroads for
the loan of forty locomotives TO Mexico
Nineteen of these are now at the port
of Brownsville, Tex; twelve are at the
frontier port of Laredo, ready to cross
to the Mexican side, and nine others
have already crossed the border. The
agreement stipulates that none of these
locomotives shall be operated south OF
the city of Monterey and all are sub
feet TO return on short notice.
1t is, therefore, to be feared that this
will mean only a temporary relief at
best, and may merely mean the shifting
of the point of congestion to the
Monterey yards and other points south
of the border.
Relief From Private Service
IN a further effort to relieve the
congestionv-which is as bad at Tam
Ss.c end Vera Cruz as it is at the
United States border--the Director
General of the National Railways has
given a contract to the Oliver Ameri-
can Trading Company whereby one
hundred locomotives will be brought
into Mexico, to be operated by this
company in connection. with its own
private train" service. Four of these
locomotives have already crossed the
border. according to Mr.. Oliver, and
more will follow at an early date.
The American Locomotive Company