COAL FOR MEXICO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15257, 18 March 1910, Page 9

COAL FOR MEXICO.

A CHANCE FOR NEW ZEALAND.

[From Our Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, March 17

" with a rich land an-lningered there is the open hand lor big trade at present waiting to be shaken across the Pacific, that has for New Zealand almost unbounded, possibilities in at least one direction.” The words were spoken by Mr David 13. Russell, a prosperous ranchero in Mexico, who is visiting Auckland, his natal place, after an absence of twenty-seven years. “In Mexico we have pretty well everything in the world that a nation could desire, with the exception of fuel, coal and smelting coke,” said Mr Russell, by way of general explanation, “ but in these necessary accessories of manufacture and transit we are sadly an-nungered, and it was with the remembrance of New Zealand’s almost inexhaustible measures of the commodity that I returned to Auckland as an envoy, you might say, from the coal and coke-starving people of wealthy Mexico. It is a land that at the present time conta'ins nearly 15,000,000 of well nigh the best-governed inhabitants of any nation on earth, and a people who, under the able and benevolent rule of President Pornrio Diaz, are forging ahead in the art 3 and industries in a manner that reads like a fairy tale, and they are crying out for coal. We have just opened a line of railway from Guadalagaro, the Chicago of Mexico, to the port of Mangamilio, about 270 miles distant on the Pacific Coast, which connects all the railroad system of Mexico' with a port on which tne Mexican Government has already spent over 10,000,000 dollars, and intends to spend as much more, and the Japanese, being a smart race, have started a line of steamers touching at Mangamilio, Honolulu, Japau and China, the way I oamo this trip. Now about six hours from Mangamilio-, right on tho railway line, there is a huge iron property and machinery for ( milling iron, and this plant is at present practically shut down owing to the inability to obtain coke. They had been using charcoal all these years, but this is getting scarce and too dear. The owners of this place are personal friends of mine, and asked me to make inquiries for supplies of coke in Japan. This I did, olfering Japan in exchange for coke, if a lino of steamers was put on, pig iron, which Japan urgently requires. I saw tho agent of the Toyo Kaisa Kaishou about it, and I found that the Japanese c-cal was not really a coking coal, and therefore not what we want. “There is a huge field for New Zealand enterprise in this direction by making a coal and coke deposit at Mangamilio. The railroad there is the tail-end of tho national lines of Mexico, and the whole system could be supplied with coal as well as Harrimaii s system, a tremendous lino from Guaymas, Mayatlan, Tepee and to Goadalayara and thence to Mexico city, connecting with the pan-American lino. Both of these systems would have to use tho coal and coke if it were sent for. There is none in the country except what is obtained from an insignificant mine in the north-west. And not only do wo require coal for the railways asd coke for foundries, but the smelters of Mexico generally require enormous supplies of coke, which at present has to be obtained horn the United States at immense expense. There would bo no transhipment from Now Zealand except from ship at Mangamilio to trucks, for the railways throughout tho country are or one gaugo. I do assure you that it New Zealand could only take tins matiei up it would bo a very big thing, and the concessions you could get would be very attractive. AVo are paving in Mexico at this very time irom lb to 20 Mexican dollars per ton for coal, Minch will prove to you liow starved we are in this matter.”