Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1421

 INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS — MONEY, ETC. 1299

Total trade between Switzerland and the United Kingdom (in thousands of pounds) for five years : —

1907

1908

1909 1910

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1911

Imports from Switzerland into U. K.. Exports to Switzerland from U. K.

8,401 2,616

7,914 2,814

8,501 2,861

9,812 3,371

10,035 3,934

Internal Communications.

In 1912 the State railways of Switzerland had a length of 2,238 miles, and the privately owned railways 1,176. There are also 42 miles of foreign railways within the Confederation. The cost of construction of the railways up to the end of 1911 was 1,935,969,869 francs (77,438,794^.). There were carried (1912) 18,257,031 tons of goods and 105,575,536 passengers. The receipts from traffic of all the Swiss railways amounted to 214,319,713 francs (8,572,788?.). The working expenses amounted to 128,406,969 francs (5,136,278?.). Five of the principal Swiss railways have been acquired by the Confederation. The traffic on the Swiss waters in 1912 was carried on by 285 boats or barges belonging to 19 companies.

In 1912 there were in Switzerland 2,093 post-offices and 1,926 letter- boxes. By the internal service there were forwarded 175,485,129 letters, 87,100,792 post-cards, 69,780,150 packets of printed matter, 1,206,206 samples, 200,682,733 newspapers, and 6,540,498 registered parcels, &c. In the international service there were forwarded 29,217,052 letters, 22,291,841 post-cards, 16,558,195 packets of printed matter, 1,686,608 samples, 2,374,285 newspapers, and 2,312,458 registered parcels, &c. Internal post-office orders were sent to the amount of 815,538,413 francs, and international sent and received to the amount of 167,155,241 francs. Receipts, 1912, 64,367,567 francs (2,574,702?.); expenditure, 61,853,678 francs (2,474,147?.).

Switzerland has a very complete system of telegraphs, consisting (1912) of 2, 186 miles of line with 16,449 miles of wire. There were transmitted 1,706,507 inland telegrams, 3,155,773 international, and 1,438,809 in transit through Switzerland. Number of offices, 2,291. There were 442 telephone systems with 11,349 miles of line and 196,399 miles of wire; conversa- tions, 55,474,572. The telegraph and telephone receipts in 1912 amounted to 18,541,804 francs (741,672?.); the expenditure to 17,532,229 francs (701,288?.).

Money and Credit.

In 1912 the issue of coin was of the nominal value of 13,740,000 francs (gold, 11,000,000 francs; fractional silver, 2,000,000; nickel and bronze, 740,000).

There were in Switzerland in 1912, 42 banks with an aggregate paid- up capital of 244,750,000 francs. Note circulation amounted to 6,813,000 francs.

Banks of issue are subject to Federal inspection. The new National Bank, with headquarters divided between Bern and Zurich, opened its doors on June 20, 1907. It will ultimately have the exclusive right to issue bank notes in Switzerland, the existing banks being allowed 3 years to withdraw their note issue. On December 31, 1912, there were notes of the bank in circulation to the extent of 371,813,000 francs.

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