Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1161

 INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS — MONET AND CREDIT 1109

Internal Communications. J. Canals and Railways.

The total extent of canals is about 2,000 miles ; of roads about 3,000 miles.

In 1919 the total length of the principal tramway lines was 1,830 miles ; 306,787,000 passengers were carried, and 1,385,000 kilogrammes of goods. Their revenue amounts to 36,606,000 guilders.

Jn 1919 the 2 principal railways had a length of 2,377 miles. The breadth of the railway gauge is l - 50 metres, or 4 ft. 11 in. In 1919 60,248,000 passengers and 13,819,000 metric tons of goods were carried on the railways. The revenue was 152,733,000 guilders, and the expenditure 112,641,000 guilders. All railway companies are private ; there is a State railway company, only so named because the road is owned by the State. A project is on foot for bringing the four railway companies nnder one control.

II. Post and Telkuraphs. The postal traffic was as follows in 2 years : —

1918 Internal

Letter* Post Cards

173,480,000 167,240,000

Newsj'a|>""S and p« r „»i. Letters with

Printed Matt*r rarceu Money Orders

373,1'.3,000 10,568,000 864,981

Foreign. | 26,7J9,000 13,443,000 l 19,926,000 552,000 72,966 - 1919

Internal. 193,189,000 157,794,000 405,7S9,000 13,083,000 826,206

Foreign. j 45,085,000 13,402,000 22,270,000 1,097,000 135,236

The receipts of the Post Office in 1919 were 30,121.000 guilders, the ex- penditure in 1919 42,797,000 guilders.

There are several private telegraph lines, but most of the lines are owned by the State. The length of State lines on Dec. 31, 1919, was 5,124 miles, the length of wires 29,345 miles. The number of State offices was, on December 31, 1919, 1,421. The number of paid messages by State and private lines in 1919 was 10,250,200. The receipts of the State amounted in the same year to 8,669,000 guilders, and the ordinary expenses in 1919 to 9,707,000 guilders.

In 1919 the interurban telephone system had 2,228 miles of line and 66,921 miles of wire, and is administered by the State ; 10,653,218 interurban and 275,530 international conversations were held. The receipts were in the same year for interurban and international intercourse 11,101,000 guilders ; the total expenses in 1919 6,942,000 guilders.

Money and Credit.

The money in general circulation is chiefly silver. Before 1875 the Netherlands had the silver standard ; but a bill which passed the States- Geneial in the session of 1875 allowed an unrestricted coinage of ten-guildt-r pieces in gold, whereas the coinage of silver was suspended for an unlimited time