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TEDERAL OWNERSHIP IN MEXICO. So Completely successful has a four years’ experiment in federal owner ship and operation of railroads proved in Mexico that the government, ac cording to Ygnacio Sepulveda, ore ->f the most prominent and influential at torneys of Mexico City, who is at the Hotel Astor, is about to acquire the Mexican Central Railroad, the second most important line in tjhat that company. Four years ago the Mexican gov ernment took over a majority of the stock of the National Railroad or Mexico, which has 1,000 miles o p tracks, and covers the territory be tween Mexico Citv and Laredo, Tex., and extends south to the state of Michoacan. Federal ownership and operation of this road has been suc cessful in every particular. The Central Railroad was about to fall into the hands of American capi talists. President Diaz, to prevent such a deal, which, he feared, would result in the introduction of Ameri can trust and monopolistic methods into Mexico, opened negotiations with those controlling the enterprise with the result that terms have been agreed noon, and only the ratification of the Mexican congress is needed to ce ment the bargain. Is Native of California. Mr. Sepulveda, who is a native of California, having served fifteen years on the bench at Los Angeles, is here to spend the holidays with his wife and daughter. To an Amer ican reporter last night he said: “Federal ownership of railroads has had an eminently satisfactory test of four years in Mexico. During that period the government has own ed and operated the National Rail road of Mexico, and the treatment it has accorded to both patrons and em ployes has met with universal ap proval and commendation. Within the last couple of weeks President Diaz, who was the moving spirit in the first effort towards government ownership, has closed a deal whereby the government will take over a con trolling interest of the Mexican Cen tral Railroad, which is the second railroad of importance in the coun try. “The government does not make public the terms of these transac tions, but I understand it merely as sumes a majority of the stock, and permits the other stockholders to re tain their interest and enjoy div idends. The Central Railroad has not been on a paying basis, I believe, but it is safe to say it will be placed there by the government, as was the National Railroad. All that is need ed now to place the Central Railroad in control of the government is the approval of -the Mexican congress, which will be given in a few days. “The road is being taken over to prevent it from falling into the hands of American corporations. There was some danger, I am informed, that American capitalists would get control of the road, and the Mexicans do not relish domination by trusts and monopolies. The people are re joicing that the government is to be come i f he owner of the Central. Supervised All Railways. “The government, and especially President Diaz, has always exercis- ed a kind of supervision over all railroads. For example, such a thing as a protracted strike, with attend ing violence such as is not uncommon here, would be impossible in Mex ico. “About three months ago there was a strike on one of the big roads in Mexico. The employes went out and the road was unable to operate. President Diaz made certain recom mendatioi s and they were accepted bv both sides. They resulted in cer tain concessions being made to the employes, and the operation of the rai’.rccrd was immediately resumed. “Tn my opinion President Diiaz has no equal as a ruler. He has had many difficulties >to encounter during his incumbency in office, but has sur mounted all of them. The country, ■through his efforts, is in a most pros perous condition. The a* lion of the government is very progressive. The security to peisjns r.n l protection to property, which some newspapers seemed to doubt, are. beyond ques tion, better than in any other coun try in the world. “President Diaz has managed af fairs so well, in fact, that there is a large surplus in the treasury. This was shown by the last budget, after the promulgation of which a proposi tion was made by the government to reduce taxes and increase the sala ries of government employes. “President Diaz, is a steady thoughtful, sagacious statesman. He is democratic, unassuming, forceful and! tactful. The Mexican people have the greatest regard for him. They most sincerely hope he will live many, many years, and continue at the head of the government. He is now seventv-six years old. but looks not more than sixty-five. He is aided by a cabinet of excellent minds. There is progress everywhere in the country, education is advancing and everybody is enjoying prosperity. A friendly and hospitable spirit exists toward foreigners, especially Amer icans, and much American capital is invested in mines, lands and other businesses. Great New Public Works. “The Mexican government has con structed a number of very fine and imposing public buildings in the city of Mexico and elsewhere. It has now finished a magnificent post office, which I think will compare favorably in beauty of architecture with any post office building in the world. The government is building a beauti ful legislative hall for congress. The work will occupy a considerable pe riod. The foundations have just been laid. “Also the government has built, within a short time, and now occu pies a series of hospital buildings. There is a separate building for each of the most important diseases. The hospitals are very well managed and are thoroughly equipped with modern apparatus. “Then, too, the government has constructed a complete public school system. The buildings are commodi ous and built along modem lines. I refer to these things because they indicate what rapid strides the Mex ican government is making in munici pal ownership. The government is THE WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. also paying considerable attention to the seaports, and all of them will soon be made available for heavy draft vessels. “The government has appropriated funds and ’has started to build a na tional theatre, and this has pleased the people as much : s any act of the government. It will be an ornate structure and the Mexican people want it to compare favorably with any national theatre in the world. It is the intention to give all the op eras, and in addition there will be other interesting features. “Mexico is a very classical and musical country and the Mexican people are very appreciative of good music. Indeed, the government bands that play nightly in the Plaza render the very best of music. Several of the bands have visited the United States and have been highly appre ciated here. “A department of the government that General Diaz takes great pride in is the army, and he has spared no pains to improve it and place it on a high plane. I may say that it is now sufficient for all purposes. It is finely equipped with the most improv ed weapons, is magnificently officered, and the rank and file are the pick of the country. They make a magnifi cent appearance when on parade.” “Diaz Abuses No Trust.’’ “Although the powers vested in President Diaz arc as great as could safely be accorded to any president, they have never been abused. In fact, the affairs of the government have been administered with great benefit to the people in every particular. To give the same power to another man might be dangerous. “There are mauiy Americans in Mexico. Aside from those interested in business there, thousands of Amer ican visitors reach the City of Mex ico every year. Your Mr. Hearst, after the recent gubernatorial cam paign in this state, visited the City of Mexico and met President Diaz. Tn fact, both Mr. and Mrs. Hearst talked with President Diaz at the American Thanksgiving ball in the City of Mexico. They wore escorted to the box occupied by the president, and there Mr. Hearst and President Diaz had a long chat. I may say that Mr. Hearst is persona grata in Mexico. I have a copy of Tmparcial, the semi-official newspaper publish ed in Mexico, which published an ar ticle on Mr. Hearst’s arrival in the city in which it spoke very highly of him.” The article in question spoke of Mr. Hearst’s fight against trust do mination in this country, and coupled its eulogy of the congressman with a general condemnation of trusts and monopolies. “The policy of the Mexican gov ernment has been to encourage rail road enterprises,” continued Mr. Sepulveda. “Indeed, it has subsi dized a number of railroads running through the less populous section in the hope of building up these regions. The Stillwell road, running from Kan sas to the Pacific coast, for example, has a subsidy. The Subsidy wild cease, of course, when the road reaches a paying basis. The Tehuante pec Railroad, running from the gulf to the coast, is about completed and will be put in operation as Soon as the ports are finished. Th?re are still oilier railroads in process of con st ruction, and the country is bound to develop very rapidly. “By the way,” added Mr. Sepulve da, “the Mexican government is about to send Mr. Creel as its am bassador to the United States. He will be found to be an extremely able representative. He is a thor oughgoing business man, and is high ly thought of in Mexico. I presume he will take office this month. “I neglected to say, when speaking of the acquisition of the Central Railroad, that there is a well-ground ed rumor that F. N. Brown, an Amer ican, who has been president and manager of the National Railroad, will probably be made president of both roads. Ilis management of the National has been efficient and in ev ery way satisfactory to the govern ment and the people.”—New York American. President Roosevelt will deliver an address on Memorial Day at Indiana polis at the unveiling of a monument to Gen. Henry W. Lawton, who was killed in the Philippines. 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