Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1087

 SHIPPI.^G AND COMMUNICATIONS — MONEY, ETC. 9G5

Shipping and Communications.

In 1910, 623 vessels of 1,187,800 tons entered the ports of the Republic, and 620 of 1,145,990 tons cleared. Of the vessels entered 211 were American, 130 German, and 81 British. The chief ports on the Atlantic side are Puerto Barrios and Livingston ; on the Pacific side, San Jose, Champerico, and Ocos. The steamers of the United Fruit Company vessels run from New Orleans and New York to Puerto Barrios, and the steamers of the Hamburg American line from Hamburg touch at Puerto Barrios and Livingston. The Pacific Mail Line, the Kosmos Line steamers, and other companies' steamers visit Guatemalan ports.

The latest railway returns to hand are as follows : — (1) Central Railway (135 miles in extent) : Number of passengers -carried during 1911, 848,895 ; imports, 8,923 tons; exports, 24,831 tons; local freights, 94,360 tons. (2) Guatemalan Railway 195 miles in extent : Number of passengers, 116,306 ; exports, 15,533 tons; imports, 15,736 tons; local freights," 25,946 tons; bananas, 94,369 bunches. (3) Western Railway (51 miles in extent): Number of passengers, 192,140; imports, 10,411 tons; exports, 13,225 tons ; local freights, 2.5,064 tons. (4) Ocos Railway (25 miles in extent) : Number of passengers, 23,584; imports, 3,189 tons; exports, 8,130 tons ; local freights, 4,391 tons, (5) Verapaz Railway (27 miles in extent): Number of passengers, 3,708; imports, 1,862 tons; exports, 1,603 tons; local freights, 669 tons. Total length of line (1911), 433 miles. Consider- able progi-ess was made with the Pan-American Railway, which would place the country in communication with Mexico. The Los Altos Railway was also progressing.

There are a few good roads, and many bridges have been recently built, but away from the railway most of the traffic is on mule-back.

There were in 1911, 311 post-offices, through which passed 12,270,364 letters, kc. Of telegraph and telephone lines in 1910 there were 4,196 miles. Despatches, 1,205,261. The telephone system has 280 offices.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

[mportaut Guatemalan Banks are : — (1) The Bank of Guatemala (1895), capital, 10,000,000 pesos; paid-up capital, 2,500,000 pesos; reserve, 4,312,512 pesos. (2) The International Bank of Guatemala (1877), sub- scribed capital, 2,000,000 pesos ; re-scrve fund, 1,651,000 pesos. (3) The American Bank (1895), paid-up capital, 3,000,000 pesos ; reserve fund, 1,200,000 pesos. (4) The Western Bank (Banco de Occidente) of Quezal- tenango (1881), capital, 2,000,000 pesos; paid-up capital, 1,650,000 pesos ; reserve fund, 3,300,000 pesos.

The silver peso or dollar is not now current, the money in use being paper or fractional nickel coin. The value of the paper peso in September 1911, was about 2§rf.

The Dollar or Peso, of 100 Centavas, weight, 25 grammes, '900 fine ; nominal value, 45. Nickel coins are t\\Q rml, nominal value Qd.^ and the half and quarter real.

The Spanish i/z6ra of 16 ounces,. = 1-014 lb. avoirdupois.

,, ^rro&ft of 25 libras. . =25 '35 lb. ,,

,, ^mntoZ of 4 arrobas. ., = 101*40 ,,

,, J'o7ieZaf^a of 20 quintals. . = 18-10 cwt.

,, Fanega = 1^ imperial bushel.

The metrical system is now adopted.