Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/797

 FINANCE — DEFENCE

675

4,003. Of these, 2,432 were Belgian, 311 English, 197 Portuguese, 188 Swedish, 43 Norwegian, 40 French, 40 American, 215 Italian, 29 Danish, 64 German, 121 Dutch, 72 Swiss, 68 Russian, 19 Austrian, 30 Greeks, 35 from Luxembourg, and 29 others.

The native languages con^prise many dialects, every tribe having its own. Kiswahili is the language spoken by the natives who have been under Arab iniluence. Bangala is the commercial language on the upper Congo ; Fiotc is used on the lower Congo. The religion of the natives consists of a gross fetichism, but mission work is actively carried on. There are 138 mission stations, with 571 missionaries, of whom 350 are Catholic and 221 Protestant. In education they co-operate with the Government, which has formed colonies where children are collected and taught.

Finance —In 1911, the revenue Avas 40,501,700 francs, and the ex- penditure 59,012,728 francs; in 1912, 45,377,639 francs and 66,538,970 francs respectively.

For 1913 the receipts and expenditure were estimated as follows : —

Receijita

Francs

8. 201, 500

Expenditure

Francs

Customs

Interior

33,555,068

Direct taxes ....

10,142,000

Defence

8,012,400

Transports, &c.

3,785,000

Posts and Telegraphs, &c.

1,071,80.^

Taxes in kind ....

5,235,000

Justice, Education, &c..

3,007,401

Mines

3,780,000

Industry, Commerce, Ayii-

Various

0,224,000

culture ....

1,474,900

Rubber tax ....

2,250,000

Various

2,551,-342

Posts and telegiaplis

740,000

Total ordinary

50,933,004

., extraordinary

Total

15,024,020

Total

40,418,100

05,957,081

(l,016,724i.)

(2,638, 283L)

The debt contracted at various dates is given as follows : Under decree of February 7, 1888, authorising the issue of lionds amounting to a nominal capital of 150,000,000 francs, the amount of 97,262,500 francs was issued; under decrees of October 17, 1896, and June 14, 1898, 14,000,000 francs (nominal capital) was issued at 4 per cent, interest ; on July 5, 1887, bonds were created and delivered to the members and subscribers of the late "Comite d'Etudes du Haut Congo," amounting to 422,200 francs, yielding interest at 2| per cent, from January 1, 1900.

In October, 1901, a loan of 60,000,000 francs, at 4 per cent, interest, was issued for the purpose of public works, includiug railways. A decree of February 1, 1904, authorised the creation of bonds to bearer of the public debt for a nominal capital of 30,000,000 francs at 3 per cent, interest. Emprunt 1906, 4 per cent, de 150,000,000 francs : 1st instalment 10,000,000 francs, a second of 10,000,000 francs to be i.=5sued in December or January

1910, and a third instalment of 10,000,000 francs was issued on May 19,

1911. Loan, 4 per cent, 1909, 6,800,000 francs. The total public debt of the Belgian Congo amounts (1912) to 278,747,200 francs (1,149,888Z.).

Defence.— The Colony possesses a 'force of native troops amounting to 18,000 men. They are all infantry and are organised in 26 independent companies. The force is recruited by conscription and volunteering, the annual contingent being 3,375 men in 1912, The officers (182) and 259

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