MEXICO. 



545 



In 1875-'76 the imports amounted to $28,- 

 485,000, while the exports only reached $25,- 

 435,000, $15,000,000 of the latter amount 

 being silver. 



The marine movement in 1874- 1 75 was as 

 follows : 



Mexican.. 

 American. 

 English. . . 

 French... 

 German . . 

 Spanish. . . 



2,227 

 332 

 162 

 115 

 112 

 64 



FLAG. 



Norwegian 



Danish 



Dutch 



Other nationalities. 



Total. 



Vessel.. 



8,131 



Total tonnage entered, 1,000,000. 



The Mexican merchant navy embraces 421 

 sea-going vessels and 847 coasting-craft. 



The United States imported from Mexico the 

 following amounts of merchandise : 



FISCAL YEARS. 



1858 $1,108,501 



1859 1,244,084 



1860 1,908,431 



1861 886,112 



1862 817,809 



FISCAL YEARS. 



1868 ............. $1,590,667 



1869 ............. 2,336,164 



1870 ............. 2,715,665 



1871 ............. 8,209,688 



1872 ............. 4,002,920 



ago, and have since been maintained in good order 

 and endowed by a tax of one per cent on the neigh- 

 boring mines. The advent of the railroad in Septem- 

 ber has somewhat awakened Chihuahua from her 

 quiet stagnation: it has brought visitors from all 

 parts of the United States. The Mexican and Indian 

 populations still appear fascinated by the locomotives, 

 and examine them to discover the concealed animals 

 which they believe must furnish the motive power ; 

 while still another problem exercises some simple 

 minds how, when the train is backed, the cars draw 

 the engine. 



On the other hand Mr. Eomero, the Mexican 

 Minister at Washington, in a speech delivered 

 by him on February 12, 1883, on the occasion 

 of a banquet tendered him by the merchants 

 there, alluded to Mexican railroads in the fol- 

 lowing terms : 



As for the net earnings of railroads in my country. 

 I may state that the Vera Cruz line was inaugurated 

 on January 1, 1873, when its net earnings amounted 

 to $826,000, while they reached $2,958,729 in 1881, 

 and nearly $4,000,000 last year. This railroad cost 

 twice the amount of the present cost of construction ; 

 its bonded debt is $40,000,000, and its shares, which 

 three years ago had not reached par, now sell at 143 

 per cent, in consequence of the dividends the road Tntal *fsq-Q(m Tntii *issvn<u 



pays. Andthisresulthasbeenobtainedinspiteofthe Total SJJffiB 18T3 ^S 



high rates this railroad charges, almost prohibitive as g $ 6'?S'S1 ilS $ 4^463M 



theyare, for the freight per mile is 24 to 30 cents j^:'*:::?.'. $QJ8 M """.:" '.I'. 8|l7$94 



per ton. something similar we shall witness with 1866 1,726,092 1876 5,150,572 



respect to other railroads in Mexico, provided they 1867 1,071,986 1877 5,204,264 



shall have been well planned and economically built. 



As wages and land are cheap in Mexico, and all ma- Total $18,191,229 Total $24,151,959 



terial enters duty free, they can be built compara- FISCAL YEARS. 



av e, y cbeap. ffi-.::::":: * 



POSTAL SERVICE. The postal service was 1880 7,209,593 



carried on in 1881 by 873 post-offices, 51 of JgJ Iffii'So 



t t *.* i/v* -i loo*. ...... .... o,4oi,byy 



which were general, 244 branch-offices, and 



578 minor local ones. The number of letters Total $84,784,017 



forwarded, 4,406,410, besides 55,123 registered During the last quinquennial period, the 



ones, 2,693,257 newspapers, and 133 packages United States imported from Mexico, besides, 



of samples. Postage - stamps sold produced the ensuing amounts of specie (nearly all silver) : 



$491,309. FISCAL YEARS. 



TELEGRAPHS. There were in operation in }JJ *!H5!J-JJ 



1881, 10,486 kilometres, or 6,606 miles, of tele- 88::V.:::::.".:: 824 



graph belonging to the Federal Government ; J881 Mf?'n! 



1,484 kilometres, or 935 miles, to individual 1882 6 ^ 631 ' 938 



States; 3,502 kilometres, or 2,206 miles, to Total $41,832,880 



private companies ; 715 kilometres, or 450 In other words, during the last quinquennial 



miles, to railroad companies ; and 875 kilo- period the import of specie from there was 20 



metres, or 551 miles, of cables ; together, 17,- per cent larger than that of merchandise. 



062 kilometres, or 10,748 miles. Number of The domestic merchandise export from the 



offices, 363 ; number of telegrams forwarded, United States to Mexico, during the past 



744,917; net earnings, $399,814. twenty-five fiscal years, is shown below: 



EXPORTS AND IMPORTS. The foreign trade 1353 $3312825 1868 $6,441,839 



movement in 1879-'80 shows the ensuing }-{;;;;; ggg it??;.";.;:::;;;;; ffi$ 



items ol export : iswi" ' 2,210,426 1871 7,612.113 



Silver $19.823,397 1862 2,181,174 1872 5,543,589 



Gold 1180815 



Copper...".'.'.' !""!'!!'!!!"!'!"! 48,692 Total $15,948,880 Total $30,830,848 



Ores 488,587 i 863 $9,020,624 1873 $6,264,901 



Dye and cabinet woods 1,597,599 1864 . 9,270,597 1874 5,946,839 



Other products 9,529,435 ig65 16350,839 1875 5,737,282 



1866 4573,218 1876 6,200,572 



Total $32,663,525 1867;!.'.".'.!.!!'.'.! 5,395,796 1877 5,893,494 



United Se7 RIES *"*** * T ' $13,416600 Total ^6^4 Total W^i 



United Kingdom.... . 11,037,594 1878 $7,460.704 



France 5,194,741 1879 6,752,244 



Germany 1,498,734 1880 7,866,498 



Spain 1009,363 1881 11,171,238 



Spanish America !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 506,488 1882 13,824,505 



Total $32,663,525 Total $46,575,184 



VOL. xxii. 35 A 



