Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/202

 Clxxx UNITED STATES Money, Weights, and Measures The dollar of 100 cents is the par value of 49.32(Z., or 4.866 dollars to the pound sterling. Gold coins in common use are 10- and 5-dollar pieces called eagles and half-eagles. The eagle weighs 258 grains, or 16.71818 grammes .900 line, and therefore contains 232.2 grains, or 15.0464 grammes of fine gold. The silver dollar weighs 412.5 grains, or 26.729 grammes .900 tine, and therefore contains 371.25 grains, or 24.0561 grammes of fine silver. Sub- sidiary silver coins contain 345.6 grains of fine silver per dollar. British weights and measures are usually employed, but the old Win- chester gallon and bushel are used instead of the new or imperial standards. They are : Wi7ie Gallon = 0.83333 gallon Ale Gallon = 1.01695 " Bushel = 0.9692 imperial bushel Instead of the British cwt., a Cental, of 100 pounds, is used. National Banks During the existence of the national banking system up to the close of the year ending Oct. 31, 1898, 5151 national banks were organized. The number in operation is 3598. Of the closed associations, 1194 were placed in voluntary liquidation by the shareholders, and 359, insolvent, in charge of receivers. On Oct. 31, 1897, there were in active operation 3617 associa- tions. During the past year 56 were organized, 69 placed in voluntary liquidation, and 7 failed, including one of the banks in liquidation above referred to, making a net reduction during that period of 19 banks. The authorized capital stock of the banks on Oct. 31, 1898, was $624,552,195; the circulation outstanding, $239,546,281, of which $210,045,456 is secured by bonds and $29,500,825 by lawful money deposited with the Treasurer of the United States on account of liquidating and insolvent associations and those reducing circulation. A comparison of the circulation account on Oct. 31, 1898, with Oct. 31, 1897, shows an increase of $9,582,771 in the total amount of circulation outstanding, and of $6,119,776 in circulation secured by bonds. Since July 12, 1882, the date of the passage of the act pro- viding for the extension of the corporate existence of national banks, the charters of 1670 have been extended, their capital aggregating $407,531,115. In the past year the corporate ex- istence of 20 associations, with capital aggregating $2,145,000, was extended. Three associations, the corporate existence of which expired, liquidated, although 2 of them reorganized under different titles. During the coming year 22 banks,