Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 4215.

Report on the Trade and Commerce of the Consular District of Tampico for the Year 1909

By MR. CONSUL H. W. WILSON.

Introduction. During the past year there has been a marked falling-off in the trade of this Consular district. The primary cause can be traced back to the financial crisis of 1908; importers and retail merchants have greatly reduced their stocks, and only such goods have been imported from abroad as were actually required.

By referring to the tables of imports and exports annexed herewith it will be noted that during the fiscal year 1908-09 the imports through the port of Tampico were 1,674,4767. less than during the fiscal year preceding. There was also a falling-off in the export trade, during the same period, of 1,253,4167.

The general business depression from which this district was suffering during 1909 was still further increased by the effects of the cyclone which passed over the north-eastern part of the Republic on August 27 and 28. Severe damage was done to the crops, and in several districts they were totally destroyed. The railroads, however, were doubtlessly the heaviest sufferers; the Tampico to Monterrey branch of the national lines of Mexico, together with the Monterrey to Matamoras branch, had all traffic suspended for over a month owing to wash-outs.

Towards the end of the year, however, business generally began to show some improvement, and the present indications are that normal conditions will soon be re-established.

Coal and coke.-There has been a heavy falling-off in the importations of coal through this port during the past three years. The production of native coal is also being fostered by the Federal Government, and the coalfields in the State of Coahuila are

a position to compete against the imported product.

Of the coal imported into Mexico through Tampico about 7 per cent. only comes from the United Kingdom, the balance being imported from the United States.

Importations of coke have not fallen below the general average, but remain about the same.

Condition of harbour.-Great inconvenience and loss to shipping interests have been caused by insufficient water on the bar and the gradual formation of mud banks in the river, thereby preventing vessels from entering or leaving the port with full cargoes. This state of affairs has been gradually getting worse every year for the past three years, and reached a climax last August when the jetties were severely damaged and partly carried away during the cyclone. The lights which had only recently been erected on the ends of the jetties were both destroyed, the light on the north jetty was carried away entirely, and that on the south jetty so severely damaged as to render it unserviceable.

The Government are now taking active measures to improve the general condition of the harbour. A corps of engineers are surveying and drawing up the plans for repairing and extending the jetties, and the dredger "Don Jose" has been purchased by the Mexican Government from S. Pearson and Son. This bucket dredger, which is capable of dredging 500 tons in an hour and fifteen minutes, is now at work cleaning out the channel in the river. As soon as the work of repairing the jetties and dredging the channel is completed, the harbour of Tampico will be in a better condition than it has ever been and increased shipping will doubtlessly result.

An electric 30-ton crane has been recently erected on the Fiscal Wharf and will soon be placed in operation. This crane is built so that it can be moved the whole length of the wharf which is half a-mile long. The discharging of heavy machinery, &c., will be greatly facilitated, as by means of the crane heavy cargo can be lifted direct from the deck of a vessel and loaded on to the railway trucks alongside.

Tuxpam Canal.-Work on the construction of this canal between Tampico and Tuxpam continues to advance steadily. The canal is now completed to within about 10 miles of Tuxpam, and it can be confidently expected that the entire canal will be completed by 1911 when light draught river steamers will be able to run regularly between Tampico and Tuxpam.

Motor launches.-In 1906 there were only about 40 motor boats in these waters; this fleet has gradually increased and there must now be between 125 and 150 boats. The growing demand for motor boats can be accounted for in several ways; as the work on the Tuxpam Canal progresses new territory is being constantly opened up and the farmers are now able to bring their products to Tampico by water. A curious sight is the number of native dug-out canoes that have been fitted up with small petrol motors. These canoes are constantly to be seen running on the Tuxpam Canal laden with produce for the Tampico market. The lands fronting on the Tamesi and Panuco Rivers are also being rapidly settled up by colonists who are principally engaged in farming and fruit growing. A number of these colonists depend entirely on their motor launches for communication with Tampico.

The reduction in the retail price of gasoline from 2s. to 1s. 3d. per gallon has also been an important factor in promoting the more general use of motor boats. This reduction in price has been caused through the competition between the two large oil companies in Mexico.

Oil industry.-There has been great activity all through this oil district during the past year, several new companies have entered the field and are actively engaged in putting down new wells. Although there is a great amount of secrecy maintained by the various companies engaged in prospecting and boring for oil, the satisfactory results of their operations can be judged by the fact that one company alone is laying an 8-inch pipe line from their wells near the Tamiahua lagoon to the port of Tampico. The length of this pipe line will be over 100 miles, and a large proportion of it is already laid.

Zapupe. The planting and cultivation of zapupe still continues to attract much attention and several plantations, started three years ago, are now cleaning and exporting their fibre. About 1,500 bales of zapupe fibre were exported from Tampico during the year. The machines, however, that are being used for cleaning the leaves of the zapupe plant are not giving the planters the satisfactory results that were expected. The percentage of loss in fibre during the operation of cleaning the leaves has been much higher than was originally estimated, the actual loss of fibre being from 15 to 35 per cent. Besides this high percentage of loss the fibre as it leaves the machine is not as well cleaned as it ought to be, and in consequence has had to be sold at a lower price than it would have fetched if the fibre had been thoroughly cleaned. The average price at which this fibre was sold during the year was 5 c. (American money) c.i.f. New York.

There is a good opening in Mexico for a machine that will thoroughly clean the leaves of the zapupe plant with only a small percentage of loss in fibre and which at the same time can be placed on the market at a popular price.

City improvements.-The work of filling in and raising the lower part of the city of Tampico has now been completed. The completion of this work will doubtless tend to improve the sanitary condition of the port. The work of asphalting the principal streets in the business part of the city is to be commenced at once and a contract has already been closed for asphalting the roads and sidewalks of 90 blocks.

General trade. The demand for goods of a much better quality than formerly is very noticeable; the show windows of most of the large retail shops exhibit a class of goods far superior to the stocks that were generally kept on hand a few years ago. The improved quality of goods is chiefly noticeable in the dry goods and hardware trade, but hat and shoe stores also show a marked improvement in the quality of goods offered for sale.

It is very satisfactory to note that during the past year there has been a decided increase in the number of commercial representatives of British and Canadian interests, that have visited this Consulate. Manufacturers are evidently beginning to appreciate the fact that Mexican trade is well worth trying to secure, and the very thorough way in which some of these commercial travellers (291)

A 2

have prepared for their first trip to Mexico does great credit to the houses that they represent. Some of the catalogues and price lists that I have recently had brought to my notice leave little or nothing to be desired. These catalogues are printed in both English and Spanish; besides the net and gross British weights and cubic measurements the metric equivalents are also given.

Table 1.—TOTAL Imports at the Port of Tampico during the Years

Table 2.-TOTAL Exports from the Port of Tampico during the Years