Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/276

 224) THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

Banks.

The statistics of the 5 banks in the Union are as follows : —

Tear ending December 31

Subscribed capital Paid-up capital Reserve fund Notes in circulation Deposit and current accounts Coin and bullion. Securities, Government and other.

1916

1917

1918.

1919

£

£

£

£

10,450,900

10,500,900

10,515,900

11,421,800

6,196,925

5,246.925

5,261,925

5,775,900

2,792,900 I

2,953,733

3,158,650

3,643,007

3,432,305

4,658,632

6,451,107

S,219,674

55,286,548

60,628,887

72,127,111

107,070,707

6,961,026

8,938,269

9,336,92S

8,657,S0S

7,740,240

9,934,296

10,773,102

17,332,436

In December, 1920, under the South African Currency and Banking Act, 1920, a Central Reserve Bank was established at Pretoria, with branches at Cape Town and other important centres. The capital will be 1,000,000?., at least half being subscribed by the public or the Treasury. The bank will have a monopoly of the note issue.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The coins and the standard weights and measures are British, but the following old Dutch measures are still used : — Liquid Measure : Leaguer = about 128 imperial gallons ; half aum = 15^ imperial gallons ; anker = 7^ imperial gallons. Capacity : Muid — 3 bushels. The general surface measure is Morgen, equal to 2*1165402 acres ; 1,000 Cape lineal feet are equal to 1,033 British imperial feet. Legislation is in contemplation to provide for the standardisation of the metric system for weights and measures throughout the Union, with the optional use of imperial standards, except in the case of chemists, who are compelled to use the metric system.

Books of Reference.

1. Official Publications.

The South Africa Act, 1909.

Official Year-Book of the Union of South Africa. Annual.

Annual Statement of Trade and Shipping of the Union oi South Africa. Cape Town. Annual.

Report to the Board of Trade on the Trade of South Africa. Annual. Loudon. Trade Report. Monthly. Cape Town.

2. Non-Official Publications.

The South African Year Book (First Issue, 1914). London. Annual.

Brand (Hon. U. H.), The Union of South Africa, oxford, 1909.

Drown (A. S.) and Brown (G. G.), Editors. The Guide to South and East Africa. Annual.

Cory(Q. E.), The Rise of South Africa. 8 vols. London, 1910, 1913, and 191'.).

Eybers(Q. W.), Select constitutional documents, illustrating South African M 17'.'.'.-1910. London, 1019.

Fairbridge (I).), A History of South Africa. London, 1918.

Fit~«imtins (F. W.), The Natural History of South Africa. London, L9JL

G'ibson(J. Y.), The Story of the Zulus. London, 1910.

Hamilton t'y/e (II.), South Africa of to day. London, 1911.

Hodton (A.W.), Trekking the Great Thirst, 1<U ,.

Hollway (N. C. S.), Bibliography of Books relating to South Africa. In Transaction) of the South African PUlotopMcal Socirty, Vol. X., 1't. 2. Cape Town, lS'.'S.

Lftrher (O.), The Bonds of Africa : Impressions of Travel and Sport from Cape Town bo Cairo, lOOS-lS. London, 1914.