MALT AND BEER IN SPANISH AMERICA. 337 



but, on account of competition, have been reduced to 31 cents each, the 

 present price. There is but little beer manufactured here, and this sells 

 ;it 1- cents per pint bottle, but it can not in any way compare or com- 

 pete with the American beer, which is of a superior quality. There is 

 imt much beer consumed at present in Saltillo, but there is no doubt 

 that if it could be sold cheaper a much larger quantity would be con- 

 sumed. To secure this result, of course, the import duties must be 

 largely reduced, also the freight rate from Laredo, Tex., on the line of 

 the Mexican National Railway. 



The import duty on beer in bottles, without allowance for breakage, 

 or leakage, net weight is 20 cents per kilogram (about 2 pounds.) In 

 barrels 10 cents per kilogram payable at the port on the frontier where 

 the goods enter this country and on entering this city there is an ad- 

 ditional 7 per cent, to pay on the amount of this duty as an introduc- 

 tion tax, which is figured in this way : 



Supposing amount of duties on a lot of beer to be $'200 



5 per cent, to the city on $200 $10 



-20 per cent, school, on $10 2 



25 per cent, federal, on $12 3 



Total $15 







s even and one-half per cent, on amount of import duties. Beer is gen- 

 erally sold here by wholesale through the agency of established houses 

 and retailed in "cantinas" (saloons), hotels, and grocery stores. 



JOHN WOESSNEE, 



Consul. 

 UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Saltillo, Mexico, February 12, 1890. 



SONORA. 

 REPORT BY CONSUL SMITH, OF NOGA.LES. 



MALT. 



I have the honor to inclose herewith a statement of beer imported 

 into Mexico from the United States through this port during the year 

 1889, and to state that neither this consulate nor the Mexican consul- 

 ate at Nogales, A. T., show any importations of malt, and I am informed 

 that there is no beer manufactured in Sonora. 



BEEE. 



The kind of beer most suitable for local consumption seems to be 

 bottled beer manufactured at St. Louis, Mo. The retail prices are, 

 quarts, 50 cents per bottle, or three bottles for $1, and 12J cents per 

 glass. The wholesale price per barrel of six dozen quarts ranges from 



