Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1242

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PARAGUAY

Government fund for education consisting of a proportion of the proceeds of land sales, customs dues, &c.

A High Court of Justice, and various inferior tribunals, with local magis- trates, exercise judicial functions. The High Court is composed of 3 justices, appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate, for a term of 4 years. There are also 2 courts of appeal.

Finance.

The revenue is derived from customs, internal consumption, stamps and other dues. The estimated revenue and expenditure for four years are given as follows (gold dollar = 45. ; paper dollar = about S^c?.) : —

Revenue

1907 1909 1910

1911M

1912^/

Gold pesos

2,812,894

1,771,680

496,000

2,738,000

Paper pesos 6,829,401 6,291,026 2,636,000

9,190,500

Expenditure

Gold pesos 561,963 567,636 710,552

999,411

"Paper pesos 28,577,110 28,327,337 27,094,948

32,687,228

1 Estimates.

On March 31. 1912, the outstanding external debt amounted to 821,017^. and the internal debt, 1,383,753?. (including 65,000.000 dollars of paper currency in circulation). The war debt to the Argentine and Brazil (the portion due to Uruguay was condoned) exists only as a political weapon in the hands of those countries, and is by some considered an effective guarantee of the independence of Paraguay.

Defence.

The small army of Paraguay is drilled and trained on the German model. Owing to recent and present changes it is impossible to say of what the army consists. Formerly it had 4 battalions of infantry, 6 squadrons of cavalry, 5 field batteries, and a coast defence battery. Total about 100 officers and 2,500 men. There is also a National Guard which would be called out for the defence of the country in time of war.

The navy consists at present of a flotilla of small merchant vessels armed with modern guns. The largest is about 1,000 tons.

Production and Industry.

Excellent grazing land is abundant in Paraguay, esjiecially in the Cliaco region, which is now being taken up by cattle-raisers. The estimated number of horned cattle in 1912 was about 3,000,000 ; horses 182,790, mules and asses 7,626, sheep 214,060, goats 32,334, pigs 23,900. The saladero industry is encouraged by Government ; hides, jerked beef, and other animal products are exported. The growing of yerba maU, or Paraguay tea, is now in the hands of capitalists and companies, though some colonists also grow it. Tobacco is grown in large quantities and exported (59,424 bales weighing 127,785 cwts. in 1911) for consumption in Europe, mainly to Hamburg and Bremen. The principal industries are cattle-breeding and timber-cutting. Fruit-growing (especially oranges) is considerable. But agriculture is