Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1147

 SHIPPING — MONEY AND CREDIT

01

Tlic subjoined table shows the value of the trade between Mexico and the United Kingdom in each of the last five years, according to the Board of Trade returns : —

—

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Imports into U.K.

from Mexico Exports of British

produce toMexico

£ 584,235 1,152,847

£

554,746 1,213,721

£ 467,331 1,522,022

£ 593,00-2 1,520,387

£ 593,894 1,602,818

The principal articles of import from Mexico into the United Kingdom in the year 1897 were mahogany, of the value of 79,614^. ; silver ore, 29,697^. ; hemp and other vegetable substances, 17,736Z. ; coffee, 24,464Z. ; copper and regulus, 363,190Z. (in 1894, 280Z.). The chief exports from Great Britain to Mexico were: cottons, of the value of 575,649?. ; linens, of the value of 43,973?. ; iron, wrought and unwrought, of the value of 301,503?. ; machinery, 209,714?. ; and woollens, 79,273?.

Shipping and Communications.

The mercantile marine of Mexico in 1898 comprised 17 steamers of 4,081 tons, and 51 sailing vessels of 9,317 tons. The shipping includes also many small vessels engaged in the coasting trade. In 1898 in the foreign and coasting trade there entered 10,527 vessels of 4,085,200 tons, and cleared 10,452 of 3,880,940 tons.

In 1898 there were 7,700 miles of railway and 127 miles of tramway in operation. Of the total length, 889 miles have been built by Mexican capital and 5,617 miles by foreign capital. In 1896 26,081,000 passengers, and 5,084,000 tons of goods were conveyed, the gross proceeds being 30,231,000 dollars.

The total length of telegraph lines in 1898 was 42,150 English miles, of which 28,220 miles belonged to the Federal Government, the remainder belonging, to the States, companies, and the railways. There were 327 state offices. The telephone had a network of 7,459 miles.

In 1898 there were 1,688 post-offices. The post, inland and international, carried in 1897-98 112,750,000 letters and postcards. The receipts were 1,409,528 dollars, expenditure 1,587,115 dollars.

Money and Credit.

There are 4 mints in the Republic. Most of the silver exported is shipped in the shape of dollars, which find their way. chiefly to China and the smaller communities in Indo-China and the Eastern Archipelago.

The following table shows the nominal value of the coinage of Mexican mints for ten years : —