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 RHODESIA 205

iJl private schools, with 107 pupils in 1919. In addition there were 696 native schools, the number of pupils enrolled being 39,381.

The country is rich in gold reefs and other minerals, and is well adapted for agriculture and European settlers. Live stock (1919) : cattle, 1,326,000 ; sheep, 367,000 ; goats, 761,000. Acreage under crops (1919): European, 210,000; native, 1.204,000. Tobacco acreage (1919): 4,197: yield, 1,468,000 lbs. estimated. Large fruit orcbards have been planted, and nearly all fruit trees thrive, the cultivation of oranges and lemons constituting a rapidly expanding industry. Regular shipments of oranges are now being made to the United Kingdom, and have realised eminently satisfactory prires. In March (1920) the British South Africa Company completed the constru'tion of an important dam across the Mazoe River, the storage capacity of which, in a normal mm is approximately 4,000 million gallons, equivalent to 15,000 acre feet, or sufficient to supply 6,000 acres with 24 feet of water ]>er acre per anuuin. An adequate supply of water will be assured for the irrigation of the Company's orange groves on the Mazoe Estate, and negotiations are at present taking place with regard tt) the sale of surplus water to other landowners in the Mazoe Valley. The sale . of dairy produce is a profitable industry in the neighbourhood of the towns. Creameries, a bacon factory, an oil-expressing plant, and a meat-canning factory have been successfully established.

A Land Bank makes loans to settlers on easy terms of repayment, for the purpose of improving and developing their agricultural holdings, and numerous companies have been formed with the purpose of developing land and minerals.

The total output ot gold from 1890 to December 31, 1919, is valued at 45,227,793/. The gold output (1919) was 593,222 oz., valued at 2,499,498/. (1920), 552,497 oz., 3,056,549/. The output of other minerals in 1919 was: silver, 172,000 oz., valued at 34,099/.; copper, 3,012 tons, valued at 207,470/. : chrome ore, 35.2S2 tons, valued at 142,541/.; coal, 510,040 tons raised, value 189,188/.; asbestos, 9,799 tons, valued at 425,240/.; iron stone, 2,500 tons, value 312/. Small amounts of wolframite, scheelite, antimony, and arsenic, together with 3S5 carats of diamonds, were also produced. The total mineral output for 1919 was valued at 3,519,375/. Manganese nickel, tungsten, vanadium, molybdenum, tantalum and zirconium also exist.

The total value of imports into Southern Rhodesia in 1919 was 0,206,853/., the chief being: living animals, 86,692/.; food and drink, 492,299/. ; textile goods, wearing apparel, boots, etc., 785,045/.; machinery, 128,368/.; railway and tramway materials, 317,374/. The value of the exports of South African produce, exclusive of gold, was 1,935,603/., the chief being: asbestos, 240,210/. ; maize. 241,328/. ; blister copper, 449,699/. ; animals, 284,112/.; hides and skins, 141,641/.; tobacco, 82,613/. Gold exports, 2,499,498/. Imports of merchandise from the United Kingdom (1919), 1,309,807/.

The Rhcdesian Railway system begins at Yryburg in the Cape Colony, and extends northwards to the Congo State border, a through communica- tion from Cape Town to the Congo border (2,149 miles), and north-east from Bnlawayo to Salisbury, and thence to the port of Beira on the Indian Ocean. There are also several branch lines in Southern Rhodesia. The total mileage of the Rhodesian Railway Systems (including the Beira Railway) at the end of 1919 was 2,468.

On December 31, 1919, there were in Southern Rhodesia 105 post offices, 36 of which are money order and savings bank offices. During the year ended December 31, 1919, 6,159, S58 letters and post-cards were despatched.