Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/318

 196 THE BKITISH EMPlllE : — RHODESIA

tons ; asbestos (1911), 460 tons, value, 6,3961. Small amounts of wolframite, sclieelite, aud antimony have also been produced.

The total value of imports into Southern Rhodesia in 1911 was 2,975, 11 2Z. The value of merchandise was 2,569,976^., of which ],525,504Z. came by the Cape route and 1,422,837/. by Beira. The gross duties collected in 1911 amounted to 316,139/. The value of the exports of South African produce during the year 1911 was 3,098,400/., the chief being gold, 2,544,077/. ; gold concentrates, 52,980/.: chrome ore, 118,064/.; tobacco, 34,749/.

The Rhodesian Railway system begins at Vryburg in the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and extends northwards to the Congo State border, a through communication from Cape Town to the Congo border (2,149 miles). At the Victoria Falls the river is crossed by a bridge 650 feet long and 30 feet wide ; the structure, which is about 420 feet above the water, was com- menced in October, 1904, from both sides of the river, linked up on April 1, 1905, and formally opened on September 12, 1905. Salisbury is connected by rail with Bulawayo {via Hartley and Gwelo), a distance of 301 miles. There is a railway from Salisbury to the Ayrshire Mine, a distance of 84 miles, and a branch, 11^ miles long, from the 67th mile-post on this line to the Eldorado mine. The total mileage of the Rhodesia Railway Systems (including the Beira Railway) at the end of 1912, was 2,406 miles.

On December 31, 1911, there were in Southern Rhodesia 86 post offices, 35 of which are money order offices. In Southern Rhodesia during the year ended December 31, 1911, 4,952,272 letters and post-cards were despatched. The total number of newspapers, books, and parcels despatched was 1,903,296, and registered articles 84,618. The postal revenue for the year ended December 31, 1911, was 47,521/., and the expenditure 31,547/. Telegraphic revenue 56,197/., exj)enditure 42,722/.

On January 1, 1905, a Post Office Savings Bank was established, and on December 31, 1911, the deposits amounted to 110,751/. to the credit of 4,214 depositors.

On December 31, 1911, the mileage of the Rhodesia telegraph system was 5,939 miles. There were 104 telegiaph offices open. In Southern Rhodesia during the year 1911, 404,963 telegrams were received and 328,438 were despatched. There is, besides, an extensive telephone system in operation.

Administrative revenue of Southern Rhodesia, 1911-12, 817,354/. ; administrative expenditure, 737,948/.

Northern Rhodesia. — By an Order in Council, dated May 4, 1911, the two provinces of North-Eastern and North-Western Rhodesia were amal- gamated under the title of Northern Rhodesia. The amalgamation took effect as from August 17, 1911. The limits of the territory, as defined by the Order in Council, are ' the parts of Africa bounded by Southern Rhodesia, German South-west Africa, Portuguese West Afiica, the Congo Free State, German East Africa, Nyasaland, and Portuguese East Africa.'

Northern Rhodesia has an area of about 290,000 square miles, and consists for the most part of high plateau country, covered Avith thin forest. Much of the country is suitable for farming and contains large areas carrying good arable and grazing land. In May, 1911, the European population numbered 1,434. The native population is approximately 1,000,000. The territory is divided into ten magisterial districts. The administrative headquarters are at Livingstone, on the Zambesi. The most important centres are Fort Jameson, Fife, Abercorn, Fort Rosebery, Broken Hill, Ndola, and Lealui, the chief residence of Lewanika, Para- mount Chief of the Barotse. The police force, called the Northern