Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/729

 SHIPPING— COMMUNICATIONS— MONEY AND CREDIT 607

exports of British produce and manufactures to Argentina (Board of Trade Returns) in two years were as follows : —

Imports into U.K.

Wheat Maize. Fresh mutton Fresh beef Linseed. Wool Butter

1910

£ 6,165,090 5,256,834 •2,322,454 8,256,984 1,139,651 1,261,061 374,285

1911

£ 5,736,698

949,147 2,896,589 9,242,086 1,114,917 1,966,848

145,154

Exports from U.K. 1910

Cottons

Woollens

Iron & manufactures

Machinery.

Railway carriages

Coal

Jute manuf.

£ 3,487.699 1,653,547 3,759,377 1,715,687

896,172 2,201,102

159,944

1911

£ 3,494,029 1,448,902 3,276,162 1,490,683

517,680 2,456,104

138,858

Shipping and Navigation.

In 1911 the registered shipping consisted of 269 steamers of 91,497 tons, and 749 sailing vessels of 148,302 tons. ,, , ,

In 1911 the number of ocean-going vessels which entered and cleared the ports of Argentina was 7,772 with an aggregate tonnage of 19,190,726

Tlie number of foreign steamships entered and cleared at the port of Buenos Aires in 1911 was 4,238, with a tonnage of 11,192,241. The vessels engaged in the coasting trade numbered 31,447, with a tonnage of 6,941,802.

Internal Communications.

Railways open, 1912, 19,684 miles, 803 miles under construction. Of the total, 3,338 miles belong to the State. The r^apital in January, 1913, was approximately 233,272,029?. ; receipts in 1912, 24,133, 119Z. ; expenses 14,974,688?.; passengers, 67,455,954. In 1911 there were 428 miles ot tramways in Buenos Aires, mainly electric. ., ., -,

National telegraph lines, 15,873 miles 1910, provincial railway and private lines, bringing the total up to 37,759 miles with 96,076 miles of Ivire Number of telegrams despatched (1911-12) 13,529,258. The Post Office (1911-12) dealt with 831,695,940 internal postal pieces and 68,258,385 international ; there were 2,027 post offices in 1911-12. The revenue of the Post and Telegraph Department was 14,480,869 dollars for 1911-12; expenditure, 11,866,740 dollars. , ,.,,,,. ^.

There are 12 stations for wireless telegraphy. Ihere is a bill before the Senate compelling all ships with a crew of over 50 and touching at Argentine ports to be equipped with wireless telegraph.

Money and Credit.

The 'Banco de la Nacion Argentina,' on October 31, 1912, had capital equal to 120,999,950 pesos. The bank has a limited authority to lend money to the National Government, the loans to which must not exceed 6,000,000 dollars. There are many commercial and agricultural banks within the Republic, the more important being the London and River Plate Bank with a ])aid-up capital ofl 800 000? and reserve fund of 1,000, 000?.; the London and Brazilian Bank, capital 750,000?., reserve fund 2,000,000?. ; the Banco Espafiol del Rio de la Plata, with a paid-up capital of 7,816,751?. and reserve fund (June, 1912) of 3,388,942?., and new reserve fund (part premium on new shares), 547,953?. ; the British Bank of South America, capital paid up, 1,000,000?., reserve fund 1,100,000?.; the Bank of Taracapa and Argentina, capital paid