Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1193

 MONEY AND CREDIT 837

At the ciul of 1896 the total length of railways (State and private) opened for traffic was about 1,112 English miles; the revenues were 14,048, 230 guilders.

There are about 300 post-offices; the number of letters carried in 1896 and 1895 for internal intercourse was 7,249,424 and 7,085,364, while 5,504,174 and 5,524,662 newspapers, samples, &c., for the interior passed through the various post-offices in the Dutch Indies during the same years. In 1896 and 1895, 1,479,561 and 1,446,477 letters were carried for foreign postal intercourse.

There were 6,699 miles of telegraph lines in Dutch India in 1896 with 109 offices; the number of messages was 638,388. In December, 1896, Batavia, Samarang, and Sourabaya were connected by telephone.

Money and Credit.

The 'Java Bank,' cstal)lished in 1828, has a capital of 6,000,000 guilders, and a reserve of about 1,200,000 guilders. The Government has a control over the administration. Two-fifths of the amount of the notes, assignats, and credits must be covered by specie or bullion. In September, 1897, the value of the notes in circulation was 44,659,000 guilders, and of the bank operations 23,905,000. There are two other Dutch banks, besides branches of British banks.

In the savings-banks, in 1896, there were 15, 001 depositors, with a deposited amount of 10,698,600 guilders.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

Weights and Measures.

The Ainsterdamsch Pond. ,, Pikol

,, Catty ... ,, Tjengkal. . . = 4 yards

The only legal coins, as well as the weights and measures, of Dutch India are those of the Netherlands.

Consular Representatives.

British Consul at Batavia. — H. V. S. Davids. Vice-Constcl at Saina,rang. — D. D. Fraser. Vice-Consul at Sourabaya. — A. J. Warren.

DUTCH WEST INDIES.

The Dutch possessions in the West Indies are {a) Surinam, or Butch Guiana, and {h) the colony Cura(^ao.

Surinam or Dutch Guiana.

Dutch Guiana or Surinam is situated on the north coast of S. America, between 2^ and 6' N. latitude, and 53° 50' and 58° 20' E. longitude, and bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east ]»y the river Marowijne, which separates it from French Guiana, on the west by the river Corantyn, which separates it from British Guiana, and on the south by inaccessible forests and savannas to the Turmchumce Mountains.

= 1-09 lb.

avoirdupois,

= 133^ „

n

— li

) J