190
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — CAPE OE GOOD HOPE
exports of British produce to the colony comprised mainly apparel and haberdashery, of the value of 1,579,349^. ; cotton manufactures, of the value of 797,925/. ; iron, wrought and uuwrought, of the value of 1,262,727/. ; leather and saddlery, 630,490/. ; machinery and mill work, 808,099/.
Shipping and Navigation.
The number of A'^essels which entered inwards in 1897 was 1,093, of 2,694,370 tons (743, of 2,350,064 tons British), and coastwise 1,278) of 3,725,831 tons; the number cleared outwards was 1,089, of 2,709,795 tons (761 of 2,390,798 tons British), and coastwise 1,278, of 3,723,409 tons.
Total registered shipping of colony, January 1, 1898 : — Steamers, 24, of 3,112 tons ; sailing, 7, of 528 tons ; total, 31^ of 3,640 tons.
Internal Communications*
There are over 8,000 miles of road in the colony proper. There were lines of Government railway of a total length of 1,901 miles in the colony in Dec. 1897, and 89 under construction. There are also 359^ miles of private railwa}'^ in the colony, and considerable lengths of private electric tram- ways in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Kimberley. From Kimberleythe railway is carried northward to Mafeking, and thence to liuluwayo by a private company. The line from Vryburg to Mafeking (96 miles) was constructed by the British South Africa Company, and is worked by the Government of the Colony at the cost of the Company. Several extensions have been contracted for, and others are under survey. The capital expended on Government railways to the end of 1897 has been 19,323,155/., showing a cost per mile of 10,165/. The gross earnings in 1897 were 3,070,897/., and expenses 1,898,316/. The number of passengers conveyed in 1897 was 9,223,676, and tonnage of goods, 1,340,414 (of 2,000 lbs.).
The number of post offices in the colony at the end of 1897 was 934 ; the revenue in 1897 amounting to 481,117/., and the expenditure on whole postal telegraph service to 429,844/. The total number of letters posted in 1897 was 19,484,524, newspapers 9,168,960, post cards 633,796, books and sample packets 1,991,520, parcels 513,720.
The telegraphs in the colony comprised 6,609 miles of line, with 426 offices, at the end of 1897. The number of messages sent was 2,392,503 in 1897. The telegraphs were constructed at the expense of the Government, 781 miles of line having been taken over from the company in 1873. The revenue in 1897 was 148,558/. (exclusive of 137,565/., the value of Govern- ment messages), and expenditure 132,586/.
Banks.
The following are the statistics of the banks under trust laws in the colony :
.31st Dec.
Including Head Offices
Circulation.
Assets and Liabilities. Colony only
£
9,668,086
9,521,464
11,864,152
11,749,451
12,635,866
Capital
Paid-up
Reserve
£
770,000
815,000
1,008,837
1,090,700
1,178,300
Colony only
^ £ 615,320 585, 44 2 i 612,266 762,409 834,500
1893 1894 1895 1896 1897
£ 5,362,090 5,362,090 7,189,090 7,289,090 7,393,800
£ 1,555,953 1,55.5,953 2,382,003 2,582,953 2,935,308
