Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/156

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THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — CEYLON

and municipal magistrates' courts was 83,816. The number of "true " cases of cognisable crime was 11,062, and the convictions, 5,227. 14,770 con- victed persons were sent to prison. Police force, December 31, 1919, 2,884 of all ranks.

There is no poor law, though a few old persons receive a charitable allow- ance from the Government varying from Es. 1 to Rs. 12 - 50each per mensem.

Finance.

15 rupees = £1.

-

Revenue Expenditure

Revenue

£ 4,465,45S 4,262,242 4,671,396

Expenditure

1912-131 1914-152 1915-162

£ £

3,411,502 3,178,062 3,436,365 3,571,868 4,400,867 3,740,301

1916-17 2 1917-18 2 1918-19 2

£

4,289,044 4,329,030 4,722,JU'2

1 12 months ended June 30. 1913.

» 12 months ended September 30.

The- principal sources of revenue in 1918-19: customs, 1,246,98GZ. ; port and harbour dues, 186.869Z. ; salt, 107,273Z. ; arrack, rum and toddy licences, 657,049Z. ; stamps, 435,479Z. ; Government railway receipts, 1,081,219Z. ; and land sales, 38.389Z.

The principal items of expenditure in 1918-19 : Military expenditure, 222,373Z. ; pensions and retired allowances, 123.404Z. ; interest and sinking fund on loans, 360,853Z. ; post and telegraph, 183.092Z. ; railway depart- ment, 620.608Z. ; medical department, 296,147Z. ; education, 189.504Z. ; on public works (annually recurrent), 287,003Z. ; on public works (extra- ordinary), 195,907Z. ; railway department (extraordinary works), 131,425?. : war contribution to the British Government, 173,486Z.

The net public debt on September 30, 1919, was 5,006,000Z., incurred entirely for public works, such as the construction of railways, harbour works, waterworks, etc.

Defence.

The harbour of Colombo, on the west, is protected.

In normal times Ceylon pays three-fourths of the cost of the Imperial garrison. At present the defence of the Colony is almost entirely in the hands of local troops. Compulsory service for Europeans was introduced in 1917.

Production and Industry.

The area of the colony is 16,212,000 acres, of which it is estimated that about 3,000,000 acres are under cultivation, and about 1,000,000 acres pasture land. The approximate areas under the principal products in 1919 were : paddy, 710,000 acres ; other grain, 160,000 acres ; cacao, 31,000 acres ; cinnamon, 35,000 acres; tea, 450,000 acres; coconuts, 1,012,000 acres: rubber, 309,000 acres. In 1919, the exports of tea were 208 million lbs., of which 140 million lbs. were sent to the United Kingdom. The exports of desiccated coconuts were 676,000 cwts., copra, 1,737,000 cwts., and coconut- oil, 683,000 cwts. In the same year, 100,393,000 lbs. of rubber were exported, of which 82,974,000 lbs. went to the United Kingdom, 66,405,000 lbs. to America. In 1918, 11,112 acres of crowu land were sold ami settled. Live stock (1919), 3,600 horses, 1,599,000 horned cattle, 68,000 sheep, 59,000 pigs, and 180,000 goats. Thore is a Government Dairy, possessing over