Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1300

 1178 RUMANIA

In 1910-11 there were 2,979 post-offices, through which there passed 45,021,000 letters, 35,815,000 post-cards, and 81,994,000 newspapers, samples, &c. In 1910-11 there were 4,539 miles of telegraph lines, and 12,921 miles of wire, on which 3,661,401 messages were forwarded. The number of offices was 3,127. In 1910-11 there were 7 urban telephone systems with 1,004 miles of line and 8,402 miles of wire, and 5,525 interurban systems with 18,680 miles of line and 23,426 miles of wire. On the urban systems during the year there were 12,725,226 conversations, and on the inter-urban 1,286,778.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The National Bank of Rumania, with capital and reserves of 39,055,000 lei, had, on December 24, 1911, a circulation of notes and cash bonds amount- ing to 443,337,890 lei, cash in hand amounting to 219,166,497 lei. Other public credit institutions are Savings Bank, a Deposit and Consignment Bank, an Agricultural Loan Bank, 1,849 Popular Banks, a Rural Credit Fonder, 2 Urban Gridit Fonciers (at Bucarest and Yassi), an Agricultural Bank, and a Cassct Rurala, an institution whose purpose is to buy properties and sell -them in lots to peasants. There are also three private banking institutions.

In 1911 the following coins were in circulation : — gold, to the vahie of 10,725,000 lei ; silver coins, 5 lei, to the value of 23,660,409 lei ; 2 lei to the value of 16,098,710 lei; 1 lei, to the value of 17,734,465 lei; 71 lei, to the value of 7,745,490 ; total, 65,269,074 lei. There were also nickel coins in circulation to the value of 10,500,000 lei, and copper coins to the value of 995,000 lei.

The decimal system was introduced into Rumaniacin 1876, the unit of the monetary system being the leu, equivalent to the franc. The gold leu is the monetary unit. Silver is legal tender up to 50 lei only. Gold coins are 20-, 10-, and 5-lei pieces. Nickel is coined in 5-, 10-, and 20- centimes (bani) pieces.

The metric system has been introduced, but Turkish weights and measures are, to some extent, in use by the people.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. Of Rumania in Great Britain.

Envoy and Minister. — M. Mishu (appointed December 18, 1912),

Secretaries. — Prince Antoine Bibesco and M. Michel B. Boeresco.

Chancellor. — N. K. Constantinesco.

Attache. — Captain Matila Costiesco-Ghyka.

Commercial Attache. — Michel G. Holban.

Consul- General in London. — Alfred Stead.

Vice-Consul. — G. N. Gologan.

2. Of Great Britain in Rumania.

Envoij and Minister.— Sir G. H. Barclay, K.C.S.I., K.C.M.G., C.V.O., (1912).

Secretary. — J. Vaughan, M.V.O.

Consul. — Major J. G. Baldwin, 0. B. (at Galatz).

Danube Commissioner. — Hamilton E. Browne.

There are Vice-Consuls ^t Bucharest, Braila., Constanza, and Sulina. J