Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1267

 MONEY, ETC. — DIPLOMATIC KEPRESENTATIVES 1145

miles. Number of telegrams (1911) 1,678,357. Three submarine telegraph cables 3onnect Peru and Chile, and one connects Peru and the Republics to the north. A telephone system has a network of 3,000 miles. Wireless telegraph lines betweenlquitos and Masisea, and between I quitos and Puerto Bermudez were inaugurated July 8, 1908. In 1912 wireless offices at Callao and Lima were opened. Total length of telephone wire (1911), 10,500 miles. In 1911 there were 1,057 post offices ; letters and packets transmitted, 28,621,783.

Money and Credit.

A decree was issued by the President of the Eepublic on January 10, 1898, to give eifect to the law of December 29, 1897, establishing a gold currency. By Act of December 14, 1901, gold became the only standard. The national gold coin, the libra, is of the same standard and weight as the pound sterling, which is also legal tender ; 10 soles = 11. sterling. Silver is legal tender up to 100 soles. Peru has no paper currency of any kind, and the use of cheques on deposit accounts is very restricted.

In 1911 the National Mint coined 42,246 Peruvian gold pounds and 62,444 five-sol pieces. The value of imported bullion in 1911 was 10,200^. On September 16, 1912, the Government, in order to meet an increased demand for small coins, authorised the bank of the Republic to coin gold pieces of the value of one-fifth of a Peruvian pound.

In Peru the commercial banks are : the Bank of Peru and London (Capital, 500,000^.), the Italian Bank, the International Bank of Peru, and the Banco Popular, the Caja de Depositos y Consignaciones, the Banco Aleman Transatlantico, and the Caja de Ahorros de la Beneficencia de Lima, a Savings Bank with deposits amounting to over 200,000Z.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The gold coin is the Lihi-a^the English sovereign. The coinage of gold 5 -sol pieces (equivalent to half sovereigns) has been authorised. Silver coins are the Sol (10 soles = 1 libra), \ sol, i sol, yV sol, ^V sol. Bronze coins are 1 and 2 centavo pieces (100 centavos = l sol).

The Ounce. . . . = 1*014 ounce avoirdupois.

Libra. . . . = 1-014 lb. „

Quintal. . . . = 101 "44 lbs. ,,

^rroJa I °f 25 pounds = 25-36 „

i. of wme or spirits = 6-/0 imperial gallons.

Gallon. . . . = 0-74 ,, gallon.

yara. . . . = 0*927 yard.

Square Vara. . . = 0*835 square yard.

The French metric system of weights and measures was established by law in 1860, and is coming into general use, except for the customs tariff.

Diplomatic Representatives.

1. Of Peru in Great Britain. E7ivoy and Minister.— Bon Carlos G. Candamo (resident in Paris). Charg6 d' Affaires and Consul- General (London).— Edward Lembcke. Secretaries. — Ricardo E. Lembcke and Enrique G. Swayne. Attaches. ~'p3ihlo E. Caballero and Adolfo Perez Palacio. There^are Consular representatives at Belfast, Cardiff, Dublin, Dundee, Glasgow, Liverpool, Queenstown, Southampton, and other places.