Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/852

 49G

DENMARK

The values of imports, whether subject to duty or duty-free, and of exports, always duty-free, are determined by the Statistical Bureau in communication with commercial firms, who state the average values of the various articles of merchandise. The quantities are verified by the Customs authorities. The prime origin and ultimate destination of goods are not recorded. The general trade coniprehends all imports and exports ; the special trade only imports for consumption, and exports of home produce. Usually the Customs authorities easily ascertain whether imports and exports belong to the general or the special trade, but sometimes the amount of imports for home consumption is determined merely by the excess of imports over exports.

The value of the imports into the United Kingdom from Denmark (in- cluding Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, and Greenland), and of the domestic exports from the United Kingdom to Denmark, is shown in the subjoined table in each of the last five years, according to the Board of Trade Returns : —

—

1893

1894

1895 1896

1S97

Imports into Gt. Britain Exports of British pro- duce ....

£ 8,936,835

2,542,258

£ 9,543,766

2,594,867

1

£ £

9,799,328 10,640,598

2,703,537 2,865,635

£ 10,968,397

3,085,195

The imports of butter into Great Britain from Denmark rose from 767,190Z. in 1870 to 6,748,163Z. in 1897. In 1897 the imports of live animals from Denmark amounted to the value of 41,212?. (in 1891, 359,553Z.), comprising 19,189Z. for sheep and 22,023Z. for horses. The import of eggs has risen from 67,654?. in 1878 to 596,282?. in 1897. The import of bacon in 1897 was 2,744,430?, Of British exports to Denmark in 1897, cotton manufactures and yarn amounted to 536,811?., coal to 773,725?., iron, wrought and un- wrought, to 397,292?., sugar, 71,816?., and woollens, including yarn, 300,138?.

Shipping and Navigation.

On December 31, 1897, Denmark and colonies possessed 3,696 vessels (of 4 tons and upwards) of 356,108 registered tons in her merchant marine, of which 44 of 182,702 tons were steamers. In 1897, 32,036 vessels of 2,712,224 tons cargo entered the Danish ports, and 31,424 vessels of 713,671 tons cargo cleared, besides 35,389 coasting vessels entered, and 35,431 cleared.

Internal Communications.

There are (1897) railways of a total length of 1,532 English miles open for traffic in the kingdom. Of this total, about 1,087 English miles belong to the State, the total cost of which up to March 31, 1898, was 218,021,694 kroner.

The Post Office in the year 1897 carried 80,821,201 letters and post-cards, and 74,403,222 samples and printed matter. There are 829 post-offices. The State telegraphs in 1897 carried 2,009,788 messages, of which 597,437 were internal, 1,262,734 international, 149,617 official or meteorological. The length of State telegraph lines at the end of 1897 was 2,988 English miles, and the length of wire 8,549 English miles ; number of offices 171. At the same date the railway and private telegraphs had 249 offices. There are besides, exclusively for the telephone traffic, 575 English miles of lines, and 1,067 English miles of double wire ; number of State telephone offices 27.