Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1175

 PRODUCTION — COMMERCE — COMMUNICATIONS 1053

The array consists in time of peace of four divisions, three of which have three brigades, while the fourth has only two. The brigades vary in strength from three to eight battalions, the total number of battalions being 59, of which three are composed of Moslems. The cavalry arm is non-existent in the Montenegrin anny.

The infantry arc armed with Russian "three-line" rifles of the 1898 pattern ; the artillery with various guns of not very recent model.

Sufficient time has not yet elapsed since the promulgation of the new- Law for all the [)rovisioi}S of that Law to be brought into full effect, and the army must therefore be regarded as still in a period of transition.

The war strength of the Montenegrin nrmy is variously estimated at from 30,000 to 50,000 men.

Production and Industry.— Agriculture is of the most primitive kind. The cultivated land is mostly the property of the cultivators, the Croatian system of domestic communism being generally prevalent. In some districts, however, the land is split up into diminutive peasant-holdings, while in a few the metayer system is met with, but large estates nowhere exist. The principal crops grown are maize, tobacco, oats, potatoes, barley, and buckwheat. The exclusive right to n»anufacture, sell, and export tobacco is, since November 14, 1903, in the hands of an Italian syndicate. The vine is cultivated successfully in the Tchermnitchka Nahie, and the district of Podgoritza, and the olive about Antivari and Dulcigno. The uncultivable area consists, in the east, of mountain pasturage and forests of beech, oak, &c., which, owing to the want of roads, are valueless ; and, in the west, of bare limestone sparsely sprinkled with brushwood and stunted scrub. There arc no sea-iisheries. Live stock of all kinds are reared : there are 500,000 sheep and goats ; 60,000 cattle ; 8,000 swine ; 3,000 horses. There is :iome fishery on the Lake of Scutari.

Commerce. — Montenegro has a maximum and minimum tariff. The exports for 1910 were valued at about 99,650Z. ; the imports at about 340,277Z. The principal exports are sumach, flea-powder [P^jrethrum roseiom), smoked sardines {scoranze), smoked mutton, cattle, sheep, goats, cheese, wool, hides, skins, and furs, honey, beeswax, wood for walking- sticks, &c. , olive-oil, wine, tobacco. The imports are salt from Turkey, a Government monopoly yielding over 11,000Z. a year ; petroleum fronj Russia ; maize, cottons, hardware, sugar, coffee, rice. According to statistics supplied, merchandise to the value of 182,000Z. was imported from Austria- Hungary in 1910 ; 55,000Z. from Turkey ; 52,000Z. from Italy ; and 15,000/. from Great Britain.

Communications. — There are excellent carriage roads from Cattaro to Cettinje ; from Cettinje by Rieka, near Lake Scutari, to Podgoritza, and to Niksic ; also from Podgoritza to Plawnitza (the Scutari-Lake Port of Podgoritza) ; and from Antivari to Vir Pazar on Lake Scutari, from Vir Pazar to Rieka, from Podgoritza to Kolaschine, and from Antivari to Dulcigno. A carriage road from Kolaschine to the Turkish frontier near Berana has been made. Other roads are contemplated or are begun from the Austrian frontier near Risano to Grahovo and Niksic ; from Cettinje via Ccvo to Danilogi-ad, &c. There are public diligences between Cattaro and Cettinje, between Cettinje, Podgoritza, and Niksic ; and between Antivari and Vir Pazar. There are bridle roads over the rest of the principality. Three lake steamers belonging to the Societe ]Montenegrinc d'Antivari ply between Rieka, Vir Pazar, Plavnitza, and Scutari. A narrow gauge railway (the first Monte-