i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

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"If such reasons exist, that ought to be the
end of this case, for the state is
NOT AMENABLE TO THE JUDICIARY,
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
in respect of its legislative enactments, unless
such enactments are plainly, palpably, beyond all
question, • inconsistent with the constitution of
the United States. We are not to presume that •
the state of New York has acted in bad faith.
Nor can we assume that its legislature acted without
due deliberation, or that it did not determine
this question upon the fullest attainable information,
and for the common good. We cannot say
that the state has acted without reason, or that
its action is a mere sham. Our duty, then is to
sustain the statute as not being in conflict with
the federal constitution for the reason—and such
is an all-sufficient reason—it is not shown to be
plainly and palpably inconsistent with that instrument.
Let the state alone in the management
of its purely domestic affairs so long as it
does not appear beyond all question that it has
violated the federal constitution. This view necessarily
results from the principle that the health
and safety of the people of a state are primarily
for the state to guard and protect, and are not a
matter ordinarily of concern to the national government."
COAL MINING AND RAILWAY
DEVELOPMENT IN MEXICO.
Lewis A. Martin, United States consul at Ciudad
Porfirio Diaz, Mexico, makes the following report
regarding coal mining and railway development
in Mexico:
The principal mining developments in this section
relate to coal, and there are a number of
companies operating within this consular district,
along the line of the Mexican International
railroad. The most important companies are at
Baroteran, Sabinas, Hondo, and Fuente. The
Mexican Coal & Coke Co. is the most extensive in
its operations. This company was organized under
the laws of New Jersey, and has a capital of
over $2,000,000 gold. This company is operating
several mines on its properties at Las Esperanzas
and Conquista. The output now averages about
40,000 metric tons per month. The coal is all
sold in Mexico, with the exception of some shipments
to Texas foundries and to the copper smelters
in Arizona, and of some 5,000 tons manufactured
into coke. It is intended to increase the
present output very materially, depending very
much on the supply of labor. I am informed that
3,000 men are steadily employed by this company.
A majority of the miners are Mexicans,
but recently 350 workmen have arrived from
Japan. There are also a few Chinese and some
American negroes employed. The town which has
grown up around these mines has a population of
about 9,000. The mines have been in operation
for about four years. Prospecting and construction
work dates somewhat further back. The
company owns and rents to its employes about
1,250 houses of various classes and sizes, runs a
big company store, and furnishes to its employes
and others all the goods usually used in such a
settlement. The store has a general assortment
of merchandise, consisting of dry goods, groceries,
notions, furnishings, hats, shoes, etc. All or
nearly all of these goods are imported from the
United States.
At Hondo, not far from the Las Esperanzas
mines, on the line of the Mexican International
railroad, large mines are being operated by the
Compania Fundidora de Fierro Acero de Monterey.
This company owns a large foundry and steel
plant at Monterey, and has also large interests in
coal mining, both in Nueva Leon and in Coahuila.
I corresponded with the company with a view of
geeting a definite idea of the extent of their operations
in coal mining, but the information furnished
was very meager—that the company is
capitalized at $10,000,000, all of which had been
paid in; that in addition to the large steel plant
at Monterey, it is operating large coal properties
in the states of Nueva Leon and Coahuila, on the
banks of the Rio Grande, and that its annual output
of coal is something like 150,000 tons. I learn
from other sources that the works of the company
at Hondo are quite extensive, something like
1,000 men being employed.
I am informed that a new company is now putting
down a coal shaft at Sabinas; in fact, several
shafts are being opened near there. Sabinas is
a station on the International railroad, 72 miles
South of this city, and I am informed that large
expenditures of capital are being made, and a
great volume of business is expected to be done
at that place during the current year. There are
also extensive coal works at Fuente.
The foregoing mines ship their coal into the interior
of Mexico to cities along the several railroads,
including the City of Mexico. The factories,
and especially the smelters, demand large
quantities of coal, and I am told that the market
has not been overstocked, and that there is a growing
demand for the product of these mines. At
and in the vicinity of the mines business of various
kinds is flourishing, notably the sale of dry
goods, groceries, ladies' and gentlemen's furnishings,
hardware, mining and farming implements,
etc. It is the policy of the Mexican government
to protect the several industries growing up in
the republic by so arranging tariff duties as to
give the infant industries a chance to grow and
become thoroughly established.