Page:A Study of Mexico.djvu/179

Rh {|width="365px" align="center" cellpadding="2" style="font-size:85%; line-height:95%;" a ton $33 in custom-house, etc
 * Brought forward
 * align="right"|$83 79
 * Exchange on Vera Cruz, 1 per cent on $39.06
 * align="right"|39
 * Railroad freight from Vera Cruz to Mexico, 140 kilos, at $54.32
 * align="right"|39
 * Railroad freight from Vera Cruz to Mexico, 140 kilos, at $54.32
 * Railroad freight from Vera Cruz to Mexico, 140 kilos, at $54.32
 * align="right"|7 60
 * Local duties in city of Mexico, 2 per cent on Federal duty,
 * Local duties in city of Mexico, 2 per cent on Federal duty,
 * align="right"|12 66
 * Local expenses in city of Mexico, cartage from depot, expenses
 * Local expenses in city of Mexico, cartage from depot, expenses
 * align="right"|75
 * align="right"|———
 * Total
 * align="right"|$93 19
 * }
 * Total
 * align="right"|$93 19
 * }
 * }

The net cost of one pound of imported American ham in the city of Mexico in 1878 was therefore 31 cents, or $1 in hams in New York was equal to $2.82 in Mexico! A similar analysis showed an invoice of ten kegs of cut nails, costing two and a half cents per pound in New York, or $22.50, to have cost 14$16/100$ cents per pound, or $141.64, when imported, in the city of Mexico; or $1 value in nails in New York was equal to $6.29 in Mexico. In the case of salt, costing $2 per barrel in New York, the cost of importation was $20.40; or $1 of salt in New York was equal to $10.20 in Mexico! And in the case of (Milwaukee) beer, a barrel costing, on board steamer in New Orleans, $13, cost $35.61 in the city of Mexico. It is clear, therefore, as Mr. Foster points out in connection with the above exhibits, that "articles of the most common use in the United States must be luxuries in Mexico, on account of their high price"; and that while "this would be the case, with such charges, in almost