Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1460

 1338 TURKEY AND TRIBUTARY STATES: — EGYPT ^

Internal Communications.

On January 1, 1911, there were (exclusive of sidings) 1,481 miles of rails (double and single) belonging to and worked by the State, and 763 miles of rails of agricultural light railways owned by private companies : 811 miles of State and 659 miles of companies' rails are in the Delta, and 644 miles of State and 104 miles of light railways are in Upper Egypt. This is exclusive of the Sudan military railway to Khartum, and of the Upper Egypt Auxiliary Railways and Western Oases Railway acquired by the State in July 1906 and June 1909 respectively. The length of the former is 375 miles and that of the latter 122 miles. Their gauge 4 ft. 8^ in. and 2 ft. 65 in. respectively. The railways have a gauge of 4 ft. 8^ in. inside rails except the line from Luxor to Aswan, which is 3 ft. 6 in. gauge.

The following table shows for the last five years the length of line of the State Railways, the number of passengers and Aveight of goods carried, and the net receipts : —

Year

Line

Miles

1907

1,443

1908

1,449

1909

1,449

1910

1,455

1911

1,481

Number of Passengers

26,082,027 25,851,661 25,306,000 25,727,000 27,941,000

Goods carried

Tons 4,175,851 3,927,644 3,657,227 3,856,493 4,313,501

Net receipts

£E

1,611,843 1,353,220 1,283,389 1,420,837 1,660,330

The working expenses, £E2,030,849 in 1911, represent an average of 55.02 per cent, of the gross receipts, which were £E3,691,179.

The telegraphs and telephones belonging to the Egyptian Government were, at the end of 1911, of a total length of 6,229 kilom., the length of the wire being 20,535 kilom. The Eastern Telegraph Company, by con- cessions, have telegraph lines across Egypt from Alexandria vid Cairo to Suez, and from Port Said to Suez, connecting their cables to England and India. Number of telegrams in 1911 was 2,756,195, as against 2,564,827 in 1910, not including service telegrams and those sent by the Eastern Telegraph.

There were in 1911 1,701 post offices and stations. In the internal service (1911) there passed through the post-office 30,129,000 letters audi post-cards, and 17,054,000 newspapers, &c. , and samples; in the external service, 19,193,000 letters and post-cards, and 13,595,000 newspapers, &c., and samples. Receipts £E312, 333 ; expenses £E279,998.

Money and Credit.

The National Bank has a capital of 3,000,000^. with reserve fun amounting to 1,550,000Z. The Agricultural Bank has a capital o: 3,740, OOOX It has Government guarantee of interest at 3 per cent., and it ^ lends money to the Fellaheen at 8 per cent, interest. - j

In 1901, a Post-Office Savings Bank was opened, and on December 31 or that year, it had 6,740 depositors with balances amounting to £E47,492. On December 31, 1912, the depositors numbered 265,003, and their balances amounted to £E570,493, Of the depositors in 1911, 89,893 were natives, ! and 27,757 were Europeans. ^j