The discouragement then felt has proved to be justified. The government has continued its efforts, but with little success. Those who headed the numerous colonization enterprises of the period often received a fixed sum plus a bonus of as much as $35 or $60 for each immigrant above seven years of age. Additional bonuses were normally forthcoming for the establishment of families. One contract bound the government to pay $700 for each European agriculturist and $350 for each member of his family over seven years of age. One stipulated a payment of $315,000 annually for 30 years. The colonization contracts granted in the three years 1881-3 would have taken from the treasury $800,000 per annum had the enterprises been successful.[1] On December 15, 1883, another liberal and comprehensive colonization law was passed. It did not, however, bring settlers.
In 1892, roughly at the middle of the Diaz régime, the Ministry of Hacienda was still hopeful that conditions would change. It was declared that every immigrant was worth 10,000 pesos to the country and that soon the long looked-for stream of colonists was sure to come. The United States would soon fill up, "this at least within the period of a few years" "and then the current of emigration, until now directed toward them will have to seek a new field."[2] To hasten that end a new colonization law was adopted on March 26, 1894, removing
