Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 27 - CHI-ELD.pdf/701

 STATISTICS.]

ECU A D 0 R 649 President of the Republic, elected for four years by direct Quito, containing 13,000 volumes, amongst them many old and rare vote of the people, and not re-eligible till the two following books and manuscripts. The National Government devotes about presidential terms have elapsed. The Vice-President is 600,000 sucrds annually to educational purposes. Defence.—The army consists of 221 officers and 3120 nonelected two years after the President, and is therefore a commissioned and men. The National Guard nominally member of two distinct administrations. He succeeds contains a totalofficers strength of 95,329 men. The navy consists of 1 for the remainder of the term in case of the decease or transport, 1 small gunboat, and 1 torpedo launch, these vessels disability of the President, and is, moreover, President of mounting in the aggregate 9 guns. The ships are manned by 114 * the Council of State. The President is assisted by 4 sailors. Finance.—Of the revenue, about 70 per cent, is derived from, Secretaries of State, heads of departments, appointed by import duties, 8 per cent, from export duties, 15 per cent, from himself, and by a Council of State consisting of the Vice- taxes on cocoa, real estate, rum, and tobacco, 6 per cent, from the President of the Republic, the 4 Secretaries, the Fiscal salt and gunpowder monopolies, and the remainder from excise, Minister, 2 Senators, 1 Deputy, 3 private citizens, and an state property, and the post office. The chief spending departare those of Public Works, Finance, War, and Education. ecclesiastical functionary, the last 5 members being chosen ments From 19th June 1895 to 31st July 1896 the ordinary revenue (the' by Congress. This Council must be consulted by the sucrf being taken at 24d.) amounted to £512,860, and the extraPresident on every important measure or appointment. ordinary receipts (mostly loans from banks) to £373,070 ; while The President has the power of veto over measures passed the total expenditure amounted to £877,950. For 1897 the revenue was stated to amount to £676,055, and the expenditure tO' by Congress; but if these measures are again voted, he has £569,020. For 1900 the revenue was estimated at £826,810 and no other alternative than to accept them. The President the expenditure at £896,780. The external debt originally concannot dissolve Congress or shorten their sittings within sisted of liabilities taken over by the Republic on its secession the two months established by law, but he can call an from Colombia. In 1855 the debt was fixed at £1,824,000, and arrangements were made for the payment of interest. In 1868 extraordinary session for a specified purpose. By a decree default was made. In 1892 the debt was converted into a New issued in 1896 the Indian population is exempted from Consolidated Debt of £750,000, but in 1894 payment of interest payment of tribute and admitted to rights of citizenship. was suspended. In 1895 a new arrangement was made which was The provinces are administered by governors, nominated suspended in 1896. In 1897-1900 various contracts were signed the Guayaquil and Quito Railway Company was to purby the supreme Government; the departments by jefes whereby chase the bonds of the existing debt, the Government guaranteeing politicos, or political chiefs; and the municipalities by the sum of £2,520,000 mortgage bonds of the company, and recogtenientes politicos, or political lieutenants. The Gala- nizing the external debt at 35 per cent, of its face value. The pagos Islands are under a jefe territorial, or territorial internal debt is stated to be about 10,000,000 suer6s ; its service is attended to irregularly. chief. Industry.—Industrial development has not made any marked The subdivisions of the provinces, the cantons, and the progress, owing largely to the absence of transport facilities parishes are administered by subordinate officials, all of throughout the interior. Cocoa is the most important product, and is cultivated on the lower lands, especially in the neighbourwhom are appointed by the President. hood of the Guayaquil river. In 1895 the receipts of this article at amounted to 16,122 tons; in 1896 to 15,327 tons; in Justice.—The judicial power rests with a Supreme Court, com- Guayaquil 1897 to 14,800 tons ; in 1898 to 19,000 tons ; and in 1899 to 23,200. posed of six judges and a fiscal judge nominated by the executive ; Though the cultivation of coffee has been considerably extended, low a Tribunal de Cuentas of four members ; six superior courts; prices have discouraged the planters. In 1897 the amount tribunals of the second and third instance for commercial cases ; and exported wasgreatly tons, and in 1898, 1692 tons. Sugar is grown and courts of consular judges at Quito, Eiobamba, Cuenca, Guayaquil, manufactured1201 for local consumption. The total export and Monte Cristi; magistrates are appointed in each provincial of sugar in 1898principally was less than 2500 tons. The collection of indiacapital; municipal alcaldes at the headquarters of each depart- rubber the forests of the interior has increased, the amount ment ; civil magistrates in all parishes. Tribunates de Jurados shippedfrom in 1898 being 429 tons, as compared with 271 tons exist in Ibarra, Quito, Loja, Latacunga, Ambato, Riobamba, ill 1897. abroad the province of Tunguragua some 200 acres are under Cuenca, and Guayaquil for the trial of such criminal cases as the vines, fromInwhich a small quantity of wine is made, but the bulk law brings within their jurisdiction. The judges of the Supreme of the grapes are sold Tobacco is also produced on a small Court, the six superior courts, and the members of the Tribunal de scale for home use, thefresh. centre of this industry being in the province Cuentas are elected by Congress for a term of six years. The laws of Esmeraldas. Pastoral is confined to breeding cattle to of Ecuador are founded on Spanish law, and are all written meet the home demand forindustry meat. The export of hides was valued and codified. There is a civil code, a code of civil procedure, a at £27,060 in 1898. Ivory nuts were shipped to the value of commercial code, a penal code, and a code of procedure in criminal in 1898. Mining industry is practically confined to the cases. Constant complaints are heard of the inefficiency and £23,080 of gold quartz crushing at Zaruma, in the province of Loja, dilatory method of procedure in the courts of Ecuador, and work and to extraction in Esmeraldas from gravel beds by hydraulic apparently with much justification. by American companies. Gold washing in the beds of Religion.—According to the Constitution, “the religion of the process rivers and streams is practised by the Indians. Petroleum exists Republic is the Roman Catholic Apostolic, and all others are in different localities, but no serious attempt has been made to excluded,” but as a matter of fact official toleration exists for all work this natural nor has any development in mining for forms of religion. In 1889 the tithes from which Church revenues copper, iron, lead, product, or coal taken place, although large deposits of had been collected were abolished, and instead a tax of 3 per 1000 these minerals are stated to be found. Silver is found in consideron real estate was imposed. quantities in the province of Cuenca, and quicksilver in that of Education.—Primary education is free and nominally compulsory. able Loja. Manufacturing industry is represented by factories for soap, No great effort is, however, made by the authorities to compel the chocolate, biscuits, and vermicelli and macaroni; 4 sawmills; attendance of children. Under President Flores, from 1888 to 1892, some small woollen and cotton mills ; and a brewery and ice factory much attention was paid to the question of public instruction, and at Guayaquil. The making of straw hats, known as “Panama,” many new establishments were opened. The number of primary is a national industry, the value exported in 1898 being £8900. schools is 1088, and in these 1498 teachers are employed. The foreign trade passes almost exclusively through number of pupils on the rolls in 1898 was 68,380. The National theCommerce.—The port of Guayaquil. The value of the imports and exports for Government supports 778 schools, 452 for boys and 326 for girls, the remainder being maintained by the municipalities or from private 1890, and for the years from 1894 to 1900, is returned as follows :— sources. There are 35 schools for secondary and 9 national colleges for higher education. Colleges for the higher education of Years. Imports. Exports. Y ears. Imports. Exports. women are established at Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Loja, and Latacunga, under the supervision of religious orders. In Quito is a £ £ central university with 32 professors and attended by 216 students £ 1890 1,001,635 976,164 1897 1,217,630 in 1897. There are also university corporations at Guayaquil and 1894 1,200,000 1,393,375 1898 1,257,930 Cuenca. The faculties include philosophy and literature, juris1895 852,000 1,156,274 1899 2,142,025 prudence, medicine and pharmacy, and science. Theology is 1896 870,000 1,088,920 1900 1,341,688 1,541,922 taught in seminaries for the education of the priesthood, three of these institutions being situated at Quito, and one in each diocese of the Republic. Commercial and technical schools have also been 1 The statistics of imports for 1899 were in great part destroyed by the fire established at Guayaquil and Quito. There is a national library at at Guayaquil on 27th November 1899. S. 111 — 82