Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1182

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NETHERLANDS

length of wires 12,747 miles. The number of State oflEices was, on December 31, 1897, 549. The number of paid messages by State lines in 1897 was 4,672,142. The receipts of the State amounted in the same year to 1,674,944 guilders, and the ordinary expenses to 2,143,535 guilders.

Money and Credit.

The money in general circulation is chiefly silver. Before 1875 the Netherlands had the silver standard ; but a bill which passed the States - General in the session of 1875 allowed an unrestricted coinage of ten-guilder pieces in gold, whereas the coinage of silver was suspended for an unlimited time.

The total circulation was valued as follows in thousands of guilders : —

Jan. 1

Silver, &c.

Gold

Paper money issued

Paper money issued

Total

Gold, or covered by gold at the

by the State

by the Bank

Bank was in total

1894

58,153

23,594

14,347

201,809

297,903

68,625

1895

58,888

23,671

14,534

202,943

300,036

72,737

1896

57,420

23,654

14,579

209,817

305,470

59,764

1897

57,131

22,992

14,678

207,856

302,657

54,602

1898

57,762

23,009

14,662

211,578

307,011

54,551

Value of money minted guilders) : —

during the following years (in thousands of

Year

Gold

Silver

Copper

For the

East India

Colonies

Total value

Total number of pieces 1

1

1840-70

1871-80

1881-90

1896

1897

74,300 4,030

372,235

97,325

1,433

450

2,400

1,220

840

30

25

17,939

2,660 1,247 1,149

390,078

172,649

8,955

1,727

3,574

1,282,681 146,433

111,768 :

71,525 94,855

State Banks are unknown. The Bank of the Netherlands is a private institution, but it is the only one which has received the right of issuing 1)ank-notes, by a bill of 1863, for a period of 25 years, in 1888 prolonged for 15 years, with continuation for 10 years if the contract is not broken l)y one of the parties two years before the beginning of a new period. The Bank does the same business as other banks, only Avith more guarantees. Two-fifths of the paper money in circulation must be covered. It has agencies in all places of importance.

Year

Notes in Circulation

Total Exchanges

Stock of Gold

Stock of Silver

March 31

Marcli 31 1,000 guilders

in July 1,000 guilders

in July

1,000 guilders

1,000 guilders

1894

200,029

364,540

54,270

83,660

1895

203,683

374,018

51,390

84,320

1896

199,669

399,773

31,610

83,560

1897

201,597

423,254

31,560

83,890

1898

203,454

443,029

36,630

83,870