PORFIRIO DIAZ.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7014, 1 February 1901, Page 2

PORFIRIO DIAZ.

PRESIDENT OF MEXICO. The Han Who Made Sis Country. (New OrUans Times-Democrat.) On the Ist of December began the* sixth term of General Diaz as President of Mexico. • . • ,' " ;: : : .. . : Mexico is the first Latin Republic which has enjoyed such a prolonged peace, and which, Las had for 'twenty-four years the same Executive. It was not by force of arms nor by tyranny, as happens ia'hearly aIT the Central and South American countries/thkt: General Diaz has been' elected;, .but by the., unanimous, voice -of ';tifte*'*hole ■country. When his; last term was^pveTyhe was r asfked : to be a candidate c for the. next .election; but; putting forth his age, md "his •desire for rest after so eventful 'and perilous a career, he declined. The people, comprising all the residents of the Republic, natives and foreigners, with unanimous demonstrations and pleadings, forced the General", as lie is called over there, to remain at his post for another term, at least, to govern the country and direct its destiny. And it is hot strange that such an incident should come to pass, and that he should be the idol of his people, when thought is given to what he has done for them in the twenty years which he has given, the best of Ibis life, all his energies, his intelligence and that (honest ambition which has raised Mexico up to its present; standing. To a country which had no peace at home nor credit abroad he has given both. "When, in 1876, General Diaz became President for the first time, the finances were in desperate straits— worse than China's are at present. The army was composed of brave and honest men, but without discipline or' notions of military tactics. There were in all ihat vast country but 578 kilometres of railroad. Security of life and private pro* perty were unknown. . There was not one port where foreign steamers could enter with safety. The coast, always dangerous by the heavy storms of the Gulf, -was made more so by the lack of any lighthouses. . Relations with foreign countries had been severed by the death of Maximilian. The only countries which remained amicable were the United States, South America and Germany, But facts and figures will speak loudly. At the end of the term of General Diaz's predecessor the finances were as follow:— In cash, nothing; 95 per cent of the Customhouse receipts of Tampieo and Matamoras were mortgaged, as were 88 per cent of the Custom-house receipts of Vera Cruz, Laredo, Mier and Camargo, of the other Customhouses in different parts of the country, 87 per cent of ..".-.•■ THE RECEIPTS WERE ALSO MORTGAGED. The total sum of the license contributions was owed to the Mexican National 1 Bank as the interest on a loan of 30,000,000 dol. The . Collector of Taxes Department 'was bound to pay over to the same institution 2000dol daily, and the Lottery Com-; pany all of its net proceeds. The aninit« i were not operated by the Government, the> lessees paying an annual license for the privilege. Moreover, the Government", owed to the different mints 2,384 3 568d!0l 67 cents. To the Hypothecated Bank was owed 880,000dol, and as a guarantee for the payment of this debt and the interestaccrued were mortgaged the -barracks of Peralvillo and San Ddefonso, the Industrial and. Art School for Men, the High School for Girls, the School of Fine Arts , the Custom House . of the City of Mexico, known as Santo Domingo, the Hospital de Ferceros, the San Martin Railroad,. the Astronomical Observatory, the School of Agriculture with its two adjacent farms, San Jacintoand Asuncion. These loans were to be. redeemed in twenty years by 24,200d0l payments annually. The debt with the United States was 1,275,123d0l 79. 'cents', to be paid by annual payments of 300,000 dol. To this must be added that the judgments in the suits of the mining company, La Abra, and of Benjamin Weill had not yet been given, and this represented 1,170,852d01. To , pay the total-, debt :'• of more than 34,000,000d0l and. the running expenses of the Government, amounting to nearly 39,000,000 do!, there was only; an annual revenue of 27,810,909d0l 05cents. To-day all the mortgages on the public buildings have been redeemed, -the", obligations of the tax collector's department and the license department have been cancelled 1 , and the custom houses give the 62 per cent of their entire receipts to pay off the national debt. The mints now belong to the Government and are free from debt. The debt to the United States has been paid in full, and judgments in the mining company suits of "La Abra". and Benjamin Weill have been given in. favour of Mexico. - The .-national debt has been consolidated -and the English/ French and -Spanish- creditors have : been recognised. Mexican bonds -at. 's per cent, interest are quoted at .a premium in the markets of New York, London, Berlin, Paris and Liverpool. The annual revenue is now 53,500,628d0l 75 cents. Until 1887 the laws governing mining were old Spanish ones, .which dated! as far back as the Viceroys. At that time new laws were given, with the following results: — From 1886-91, before the new lanv was enforced, the product was 199,208,204 dol, and in the five succeeding years,, from 1891 to* 1896, when the law was enforced, the product was 274,122,318 dpi, giving a surplus of 74,914,114.' In the last Paris Exposition Mexican, mining has received four first premiums, thirteen gold medals, 1 twenty -three silver medals, twenty-two copper medals, and twenty-eight honorary mentions, making a total of /ninety premiums and placing Mexico as the third l in order of miming countries, coming after France and the United States. < ;•• ~ ' The first exposition at which Mexico was represented was the New. . Orleans Cotton Exposition "of 1884. After this . Mexico was represented at the Paris Ex-* ■position of 1889, at the Chicago. Exposition:' of 1892, ■ and at ' tihe last Paris E?#oey/tioiL Every year there are agricultural and; ;stock expositions at Mexico City, and this year Texas sent exhibits. SECURITY TO LIFE AND PRIVATE ■ )' PROPERTY is such that thirty-two colonies have been established, some of them by the Government, and some by private companies,' in different parts of the country, andi they are all prosperous. A weather bureau has been established and is connected with the United States service, giving great benefit to both, countries. At the present day there are in operation 15,569 kilometres of railroad. Tflie subvention .given to the railroads amounts to 107,743,660d0l 25 cents, making a pro rate, of 8935 dcl per kilometre. This.subvention is less than that paid by any South American country, Chili paying 17,635d0l and Argentina 31,396d0l per kilometre. The works on the forts of Vera Cruz and Tampieo commenced in 1891, and, completed 1 a few years later, have given to Mexico two of the best barbours in A.'. I

the woxld, thus augmenting considerably : Us commerc;:. Th":v iv; ::o\v in. ] rogms I ".rorlis in [hi poirs o: 1.'0a../.ia-oulcos, on the Gulf, and Tohuantepec, on the Pa- | cine, these being the terminals of tihe Intel*- | ooeanic Railroad. There are thirty-eight lighthouses, which give safety to the mariners im Mexican waters. One of the greatest achievements of General Diaz has been the drainage of the Mexican Valley, completed this year. This work was begun in the time of the Viceroys, but could' not be completed foi- the lack of energy and honesty of the rulers. There have been compiled the civil, penal flmd trade codes, most of the laws before being old Spanish ones.; one of them dating as far back as King Philip V., in 1737, ........ ; Among' the many buildings constructed lately in Mexico may be named the Criminal Court'and the penitentiary, this bust being a model in its style,, and possessing all the latest improvements. .. Public instruction is free and obligatory. There are 10,915 public schools, with 722,435 pupils, and incurring an expenditure of 6,455,549d01. The private schools number 2585, with 81,221 pupils, making a total of 13,500 schools, with 803,656 pupils. Professional instruction is free. There are 136 professional schools, with 16,809 pupils. The Agricultural school is : one of the finest in the world, having two splendid farms belonging to it. Mexico is in relation with all the foreign j .countries, and all the civilised world has representatives there, including Japan. She has COMMERCIAL TREATIES with all these countries, and also with China. . . i • The Board of Health has been appointed by General Diaz, and has done much for the •Tiealth of the whole country. He has also established" civil and military hospitals all s oyer thei country . There is now in progress v ]j^be'^ectipn of a general hospital in the city 'Mexico. . . . ; . '... .-."' . * T3ie 7 'army has been reorganized. In the Military 'School of Chapultepeb, young men receive a.thdrough and practical instruction,/which prepares them to become officers in the army. The salary of the soldier has been raised. Military service is obligatory, aoji in three months' time Mexico could put : in 'the field 200,000 men well armed, dis- ' ciph'ned and equipped. The navy has a .naval school, a schoolship for officers and a sChoolship for sailors. Congress has voted an appropriation for eight new battleships, some of them already being under construction. There are two arsenals and two dry docks, one of each on the Pacific, and the others on the Mexican Gulf. . At the beginning of the. nineteenth century there was a name which resounded from one hemisphere to the other, but with it was associated thoughts of tyranny, greed, misery and. horrible sacri_fice of lives, traditions amd ientiments . only ;'to reach one aim — to become master of the world. At the beginning of the. twentieth century there is another name .which resounds from, sphere to sphere, Porfirio Diaz! But with it is associated only thoughts of peace, prosperity, integrity and hberality. His aim has been .to. lift his beloved people from a state pf turmoil, poverty and fear to that of. quiet and peaceful advancement, v His reward— their love. ,