Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1350

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Servia has (1897) one principal railway line, Belgrade-Nisch-Vranya, 230 miles in length, and several secondary branches; Nisch-Pirot, Smederevo-Velika Plana, Lapovo-Kraguyevatz, total 354 miles. Cost of construction up to 1894 98,955,980 dinars.

Of highways there are 3,495 miles, many of them in a ruinous condition. Of rivers only those bordering on Servia are navigable, viz. Danube, 198 miles; Save, 90 miles; and Drina, 106 miles. The navigation on the Danube and Save is mostly in the hands of foreign steam companies; in 1891 a Servian steam company was formed.

There were 2,522 miles of telegraph line and 5,034 miles of wire, with 134 stations, at the end of 1897. In 1897, 137,870 messages were transmitted.

There were 114 post-offices in 1897. In 1896 10,174,000 letters were transmitted. The post and telegraph receipts for 1897 amounted to 1,095,000 dinars, and expenditure to 1,529,000 dinars.

Public credit is assisted by various monetary establishments, of which, in 1890, there were 43. The principal place is occupied by the first privileged National Bank of the Kingdom of Servia in Belgrade, with the nominal capital of 20,000,000 dinars, of which 6,500,000 has been paid up. It is entitled to issue bank notes, of which there were on September 30, 1897, 33,361,000 dinars in circulation, with a metallic reserve of 13,928 dinars. Besides the National Bank there were in 1894 5 bank establishments, 27 bank associations, and 28 savings-banks.

The nominal value of the money coined from 1868 to the end of 1897 was; gold, 10,000,000 dinars; silver, 15,600,000 dinars; bronze, 1,934,645 dinars; nickel, 3,200,000 dinars—total, 30,734,645 dinars.

Sevia accepted, by the law of June 20, 1875, the French decimal system for its moneys, weights and measures. Teh Servian dinar is equal t one franc. In circulation are gold coins of 5, 2, 1, and 0.5 dinar; bronze of 10 and 5, and nickel of 20, 10, and 5 paras.

The decimal weights and measures (kilogram, metre, &c.) have been in practical use only since the commencement of 1883.

Envoy and Minister.—M. Chedomil Mijatovitch. Consull-General for London.—R. W. Christmas. There is a Consular representative in Manchester.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.—W. E. Goschen, appointed July 1, 1898. Consul.—R. D. G. Macdonald