Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/706

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UNITED STATES : — PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, the commerce was mainl}' distributed as follows : —

- From or to

Imports

Dollars

20,770,536 5,509,773 1,276,638 9,575,741 .3,234,714

Exports

From or to

Imports

Exports

United Stales.

United Kingdom

France.

French E. Indies

Japan

Dollars

21,619,686

12,991,360

11,347,651

9,584,660

4,424,540

Germany. Spain. Australasia British E. Indies [ China.

Dollars

2,389,233 1,254,359 3,126,275 1,950,743 1,978.315

Dollars

•1,141,755 3.740,020 3,622,760 3,120,143 2,391,343

Shipping and Communications.— in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, there entered 949 vessels of 1,861,602 tons, and cleared 903 vessels of 1,808,308 tons, in the foreign trade.

On June 30, 1912, there were in operation, 587 post-offices, 253 money- order offices, 7,278 kilometers of Insular Telegraph lines, and 1,733 kilo- meters of cables. At the close of the fiscal year, 1912, there were 437 postal savings banks in operation, with 35, 802 accounts. The amount of deposits in the banks on June 30, 1912, was 1,194,493 dollars. Of the depositors, 29,555 were Filipinos.

There were in 1912, 77 newspapers ])ublished in the Islands, 22 being in English, 17 in Spanish, 15 in native dialects, 9 in Spanish and English, 2 in English and a native dialect, and 12 in Spanish and native dialect.

When the United States entered the islands in 1898 there was but a single line of narrow gauge track running between Manila and Dagupan, a distance of about 120 miles. Under the authority of the Philippine Commis- sion several important branches were added to this line, 428 miles on the island of Luzon and 131 miles on the islands of Cebu and Panay. The total length of lines in operation at the close of the fiscal year, 1912, was 641 miles with 455 miles to l)e constructed. Total length of roads (1912) 4,481 miles.

Banking and Coinage. — There are four banks doing business in the Islands : the International Banking Corporation, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China, and the Bank of the Philippine Islands, formerly the Banco Espanol Filipino.

When the United States took possession 'of the Islands the Mexican dollar was the chief current coin, and fluctuations in its value caused trouble. In 1900 an order was issued making one U.S. dollar equivalent to two Mexican dollars, but before long other measures were required and Congress passed an Act making a Filipino dollar (peso) of the value of 50 U.S. cents, to be guaranteed by gold. This law came into force in June, 1904, and has worked satis factoril3\

British GonsiU-General. — A. E. Wileman.

Vice-Consiila,tl\oi\o. —!<!>. St. C. Purdon.