Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1141

 MONET, WEIGHTS, AND MEA8URES 1089

The Moroccan Post Office receded letters as follows: — 1917, 5,263,584 ; 1918, 4,017,190; 1919. 10,6. r >5,5H : and despatched letters in 1917, 4,930,334 ; in 1918, 4,842,528 ; in 1919, 12,300,500.

There are telegraphic submarine cables from Tangier to Cadiz (Eastern Telegraph Co.), Tarifa (Spanish Government), and Oran (French Govern- ment), and a cable from Brest to Casablanca ; also wireless telegraphic stations belonging to the Moorish Government at Tangier, Kabat, Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh and Mogadon. Land telegraph lines hare been laid from Tangier to Arzila, Laraiche, Alcazar, Arbaoua, Mehedia, Rabat, Casablanca, Mazagan, Saffi and Mogador, and from Rabat to Taourirt and Oran. Lines also exist to Fez, Mequinez and Marrakesh and other places in the interior of the French zone. A fairly extensive network is being established in the Spanish zone. The total length of the telegraph lines open to the public ou December 31, 1919, was 4,320 miles, carrying 9,037 miles of wire. In 1919, 611,314 telegrams were received and 575,976 were dispatched.

The following railway lines are being worked : — Ondja to Taza, Tonahar and Fez, 223 miles ; from Algerian frontier to Ondja, 9 miles ; from Fez to Rabat and CasaUanca, 210 miles ; from Casablanca to Marrakesh, 171 miles. Branch lines are from Guercif to Fritissa, 7 miles ; from Taza to Giradot, 2 miles ; from Ber Rechid to Oued Zem. 82 miles. The following lines are nearly completed : — Branch line from Meknes to Azron and Ain Leab, 74 miles, and from Fritissa to Outat-el-Hadj, 66 miles.

In the Spanish zone there is a metre gange railway from Ceutato Tetuan, and a small military railway from Kio Martin to Tetuan.

Telephone systems are now in operation in Tangier, and in all the towns of the French Protectorate : Tangier, Arcila. and Laraiche are connected by telephone. Casablanca, Rabat, and Kenitra have also inter-urban telephone communication and connections are being effected between Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, and Marrakesh. There are telephones also at Salle", Mazagan, Ber- Rechid and Sellat, and inter-urban lines connecting them alL In 1919 there were in the French zone 2.176 subscribers, who sent 2,483,865 messages.

On January 1, 1920, there were 1,561 miles of main roads and 422 miles of secondary roads in the French zone. In the Spanish zone, in the Melilla district, the Ceuta-Tetuan road is open (26 miles*, and roads are now under construction from Tetuan to the frontier of the Tangier zone and from Laraiche to Alcazar, and in other directions. A main coast road runs from Kenitra to Mogador, whilst from Rabat aud Sale a road runs via Mekm'-s, Fez, Taza, and Oujdah to Algeria. From Meknes a road runs south to Azrou and Timhadit on the middle Atlas Plateau, and is the beginning of the Imperial Road to Tanlalelt. Further south Marrakesh is connected with the coast by roads running to Casablanca, Mazagan, Saffi, and Mogador. A further road runs from Casablanca to Kasba Tadla, and a minor network of military roads (pistes aminagies) run all over the country.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

In the French zone French and Moorish coins are used. The Hassani or native silver coinage comprises dollars, $ and \ dollars, and dirhems and £ dirhems (1 dollar = 10 dirhems). On October 8, 1917, the Moorish dollar was officially fixed as equal to the franc, but in October, 1919, the Hassani was set free, as owing to the rise in the price of silver its intrinsic value became greatly enhanced. It is proposed to introduce one system of currency into French Morocco. At Tangier European goods are paid

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