Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1346

 1294 SPAIN

Of the vessels entered in 1919, 10,270 vessels of 3,494,034 tons (entered) and 10,969 vessels of 2,309,065 tons (cleared) were Spanish; and in 1918, 9,699 vessels of 5,607,185 tons (entered) and 11,120 vessels of 4,795,976 tons (cleared) were Spanish.

Internal Communications.

The total length of the railways in Spain in 1919 was 15,727 ki'ometres (9,436 miles), of which 11,529 kilometres (6,917 miles) are of normal gauge (l - 67 metres, or 548 feet), and 4,186 kilometres (2,512 miles) are of varying gauges, chiefly 1 metre (3 - 28 feet). The remaining 12 kilometres (7 miles) are cogwheel and funicular lines. In 1919, 83,568,702 passengers were carried on the different lines, and 35,148,638 tons of goods transported. In October, 1919, the first underground electric railway service in Spain (on the model of the London 'tube-s') was inaugurated in Madrid, covering a distance of 5 kms. (3 miles). In 1920 the total length of electric tramways in Spain was 611 miles.

The whole of the Spanish railways belong to private companies, but nearly all have obtained guarantees or subventions from the Government. These amounted in 1919 for all the different lines to 7,238,997 pesetas. The State tax on tickets and merchandise for the year 1919 amounted to 49,584,491 pesetas. The most important companies are those in the North, with 3,681 kilometres (2,209 miles) ; Madrid-Saragossa- Alicante (system Antigua and Catalana), 3,664 kilometres (2,198 miles); Andaluces, 1,305 kilometres (783 miles) ; Madrid- Cace res- Portugal and West, 777 kilometres (467 miles) : South of Spain, 397 kilometres (238 miles) ; La Robla to Valmaseda and Luchana (narrow gauge), 312 kilometres (187 miles) ; Medina-Zamora Orense and Vigo, 299 kilometres (179 miles); and Calatayud-Teruel- Valencia (Central de Aragon), 299 kilometres (179 miles). The official gauge of the principal Spanish railways has hitherto, for strategical reasons, been purposely kept different from that -of France, and in consequence of this passengers are obliged to chango trains at the frontier stations. The attempt made in 18S2 to remedy this state of affairs was not successful. In January, 1914, however, a scheme was ordered to be drawn up for the construction of a standard- gauge railway with a double track from Madrid to the French frontier.

The Post Office carried in 1918, in the inland service, 189,350,683 letters and post-cards, and 273,496,457 printed papers and samples; in the inter- national service, 32,334,305 letters and post-cards, and 10,212,670 printed papers and samples. There were 7,114 post-offices. Keceipts, 42,765,311 pesetas ; expenses, 28,372,405 pesetas.

The length of lines of telegraphs in Spain in 1918 was 67,490 miles ; the total number of interior messages sent and received was 19,806, 9S9. International messages sent 587,250, received 604,391, transit 288,591. The number of telegraph offices was 2,645.

In 1918 there were 177 urban telephone systems and 214 intcrurban cir- cuits ; the total number of telephone stations was 67,069.

The 'Compaiiia Nacional de Telegrufia sin Hilos ' holds the Government. concession for the Public Service with ships, and between the Peninsula and the Canary Islands, and the International Service with England, Italy, Austria and Germany. They have 10 wireless stations of the Marconi system : one at Arunjucz equipped with two sets : one with 430 miles range for communica- tion with the shore stations, and another with 1,000 miles range designed to cany out international commercial service wiili England and other countries. Three stations situated at Cadiz, Tencritl'e, and Melenara (Las Palmas), equipped with two sets each: one of 860 miles range to carry out the service between Spain and the Canary Islands, and another of 250 miles range for