ncipal one of the newly
constructed roads is the Mexican Central, which connects Paso del Norte
with the City of Mexico. This line will also, when its branches are
completed, form a through route between the Gulf of Mexico and the
Pacific Ocean. Another scarcely less important through line north and
south is the National Mexican Railway, which is 722 miles long and
connects Laredo, on the Rio Grande, with the capital and the southern
states. Another line has recently been opened from Torreon to Durango.
The number of miles of road at present in operation in the Republic of
Mexico is about 6,800, with a number of new lines rapidly nearing
completion. The development of Mexico's resources has, during the past
decade, kept pace with the rapid expansion of its railroad system.

In the Dominion of Canada about fifteen miles of railroad line were
built as early as 1837, but only forty-three miles was added during the
next ten years. In 1852 there was still only 212 miles of railroad in
all of the British possessions in North America. At that time the
construction of the Grand Trunk system was commenced, the first section
of the system, Portland-Montreal, being opened in 1853. After this
railroads increased very rapidly in Canada, reaching an extent of 2,087
miles in 1860, 4,826 miles in 1875, 6,891 miles in 1880, and 10,150
miles in 1890. The majority of Canadian railroads are in the hands of
private companies, some of which have been very materially aided by the
government. One of the conditions upon which the union of the several
British provinces, except Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island, was
effected in 1867, was the construction of a railroad by the Dominion
government connecting the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick. This road, the main line of which extends from Point
Levis, opposite Quebec, to Halifax, was accordingly built, and is still
operated by the Canadian government. Its cost was about 46,000,000.

But the most important enterprise in which the government is interested
is the Canadian Pacific Railway. Like the intercolonial railway, this
line was a result of the political union of the colonies. Its
construction was commenced by the government, but was subsequently
assigned to a private corporation, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company,
all that had been done by the government being turned over to the
company as a gift. It is estimated that the direct gifts of money, the
land grant