Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/447

* MEXICO. 409 MEXICO. MA>'rFACTURE.s. The manufacturing indus- tries liave progrfssed slowly, though in recent years, with the advent of much foreign capital and the cessation of political revolutions that were long the curse of the country, there has been a large development of many industries. There- are now over 'MH)0 small establishments for the manufacture of sugar. The first cotton mill was erected in 1S34. In 1809 there were 107 cotton spinning and weaving mills with 4G8.547 spindles, 13,944 looms, consuming 37.201.573 pounds of raw cotton and producing 3,7115.440 pounds of yarn and !I.S75,7G4 pieces of cloth. Puebla, Ja- lisco, Vera Cruz, C'oahuila, Tlaxcala, the City of Mexico. Kio Blanco, near Orizaba, and the falls of Juanacatlan. near Guadalajara, are the centres of largest development in the cotton industries; 2211 distilleries produced 804.858 gallons of spirits; 721 tobacco factories, with Vera Cruz as the chief centre, used 5,540,507 kilograms of tobacco, making 328,005,!U5 packages of ciga- rettes, 45,438,759 cigars, 04.302.282 cheroots, be- sides pipe tobacco and snuff. Woolen and linen spinning and weaving (over 20 mills producing underwear, carpets, etc.), the manufacture of glass, drugs, chocolate, pajjer, porcelain, flour, and soap, and beer brewing are also important industries. The artisans of the plateau are skilled in making the broad-brimmed ^Mexican hats, silver ornaments, jewelrv. saddlery, leather work, and enibroider.v. and in other arts that contribute to the distinctive finery of Mexican attire and equipment. The feather work and other products of the Indians are still highly prized. The (xovcrnment encourages the devel- opment of home industries by im])osiug a tariff amounting on an average to about 38 per cent, on the declared value of nearly all imported goods. Commerce. The value of the foreign trade of Mexico has for years been rapidly increasing. The exports are usually larger in value than the imports. A peculiarit.v of Mexican statistics of foreign commerce should be borne in mind in order to reach correct conclusions as to the actual value of exports and imports. Duties are col- lected in golil upon gold valuations of the com- modities imported. The value of import articles is thus given in gold. But the value of export commodities is given in Mexican silver, the value of the peso or silver dollar fluctuating in 1001 between 40.4 cents and 50.9 cents. The value of the exports (in Mexican silver dollars) in 1899-1900 was: merchandise, .$79.- 031.330; precious metals. $71,025,024: total, .$150,050,300. The value (in ilcxican silver dol- lars) of the chief exports in 1900-01 was: ilin- erals. .$97.900.000 ; vegetable substances. .$30,100.- 000; animals, $11,400,000: manufactured prod- ucts, $2,300,000: various, $000,000. The value of the imports (in gold) was: in 1899-1900. $01,318,175: in 1900-01, .$05,083,451. The trade with the leading countries (in millions of dollars) was: IraportiB from (gold dollars) Exports to (silver dollars) 1999 1900-01 1899 1900-01 United States 31,0 10.4 6.7 6.6 2.2 35.1 9.9 6.5 7.0 2.8 116.1 12.4 6.6 6.0 0,9 117 *> 12 France 2 8 5,0 .Spain 1,2 The leading commodities exported, in the usual order of importance, are silver, gold, hcnef|uen, cofl'ee, cabinet and dye woods, copper, live ani- mals, lead, hides and skins, chewing gum, to- bacco, and vanilla. The commerce of the two ports through which most of the internal trade is conducted was valued in 1900-01 at: Vera Cruz, imports, .$22,328,154 (gold) ; exports, $21,- 892,184 (silver). At Tampico, imports, $9,712,- 950 (gold); exports, $43,880,140 (silver). About one-half of the imports are purchased from the United States, England, France, and Ger- nuinv suppl.ving most of the remainder. The United States buys by far the larger part of the exports. Mexico is thus chiefly dependent upon the United States as a market for its commodi- ties and the source from which its foreign sup- plies are drawn. Shipping axd Commuxicatioxs. ilost of the foreign trade of Mexico is carried either by rail- road or in foreign bottoms. Hundreds of ves- sels, most of them veiy small and owned by Mexi- cans, are engaged in the coasting trade. The mercantile marine of the countn' comprised, in 1000, 24 steamers of 4200 tons "and 50 sailing vessels of 8445 tons. About 10,000 vessels in the foreign and coastal trade enter and clear at the ilexican ports every year, the tonnage being, on an average, over 3.000.000. The first railroad, only three miles in length, connecting the Citv of ilexico with Guadalupe, was completed in 1854. Since 1870 railroad con- struction has been carried on rapidly. The railroad between Vera Cruz and the City of ilexico was completed in 1873. Two trunk lines connect the capital with the United States — the ilexican Central to El Paso, Texas, with a branch from San Luis Potosf to the port of Tampico; and the Mexican Xatioual to Laredo, Texas. An- other trunk line from Torreon on the Mexican Central to Eagle Pass, Texas, makes a third route between Mexico and the United States. There are now two lines between the City of ilexico and Vera Cruz. The Tehuantepec Railroad from the port of Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf of ilexico to Salina Cruz on the Pacific, 130 miles long, is the only road v'et extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific, though several others are building. Great improvements have been completed at the ports of Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, so that large vessels may enter them, and it is expected that much trade between the Atlantic and Pacific will pass over this road. The railroad s.ysteni now reaches the principal cities and commercial and mining centres, and extends southward as far as Oaxaca, 500 miles from the Guatemalan frontier, ilany of the railroads are heavily subsidized, it being the Government's policy to promote rail- road building. In 1901 there were 9000 miles of railroad in o]ieratinn, most of which had been built by foreign capital. In 1808 9.001.046 passengers and 5.904,000 tons of freight More conveyed, the gross proceeds being $39,800,000. In 1900 there were 42.843 miles of telegraph lines, of which 28.500 miles belong to the Federal (■overnment and the remainder to the States, companies, and railroads. In 1001 there were 2082 post-offices. In the cities there were in 1808 1440 miles of street car lines, most of them using animal traction. Bankixg. Banking is very profitable in ilex- ico, though the s.vstcm is not .vet well developed throughout the country. The great bank of the