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Manuscripts

In unmarked folder: "Lease of Equipment to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company of Mexico." File 081 SP de México, Section 3. From About 1.5 linear inches. Detailed discussion of the relationship of SP to SPdeM. Many worthwhile items herein, such as a letter from Walter Douglas of SPdeM to A.D. McDonald, Chair of the Executive Committee, 10/19/35, marked "Strictly Confidential": "I would suggest that the matter of purchase of SPCo equipment be postponed for the time being or until we have a better appreciation of what the future of railroad operation is to be. The support of the present Government to the unreasonable demands of Labor of all classes in Mexico renders a forecast of operating results of the carriers extremely doubtful. The demands presented by the Syndicate are impossible of consideration, aggregating as they do in excess of 100% increase in wages. While they are doubtless asking for far more than they expect to obtain, yet the fact remains that the Government will require us to accede to their demands for the so called Day of Rest, in other words, for payment for an extra day per week, irrespective of whether they work or not. This, in itself, means an increase of 17% in the present payroll, or upwards of $800,000 pesos per annum." Followed by discussion of why this would make it inadvisable to pass title of SP equipment to SPdeM. "President Cárdenas is fully aware of our economic condition and we will necessarily have to make such concessions to labor as he suggests in order to avoid this cessation of operations which, as above stated, would undoubtedly mean the Government's taking over the operation of the property." Detailed discussion of relationship between SP de México and SP; also good discussions of labor, other topics


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