INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS — MONEY AND CREDIT 353
Tear
Steamers
Sailiny Vessels
Total
Number
6,496 7,791 6,827
Tons
Number
Tons
Number
9,878 11,830 10,363
Tons
1895 1896 1897
5,461,468 6,331,879 5,522,973
3,382 4,039 3,536
785,633 783,588 541,091
6,247,101 7,115,467 6,064,064
In 1895, of the vessels entered from abroad, 1,211 of 1,634,504 tons were British, In 1898 the merchant shipping of the Republic comprised 86 steamers of 31,976 tons net, 157 sailing vessels of 39,695 tons net.
Internal Communications.
The length of railway open for traffic in 1897 was 9,270 miles, which connect the principal cities of the Republic with the capital. In 1896 the capital was 510,643,296 dollars gold ; gross receipts 31,238,326 dollars gold, and expenses 15,934,466 dollars gold. Of the capital invested, 56,331,063 dollars corresponded to lines the property of the nation, 113,311,995 dollars gold to guaranteed lines, 257,141,178 dollars gold to private lines, and 83,859,062 dollars gold to provincial lines. The Trans- Audine line from Mendoza to Santa Rosa has a length of 158 miles. The total cost of construction of the lines open for traffic at the end of 1894 was 483,508,766 dollars. In 1897 the number of passengers carried was 16,044,389 ; and the weight of goods, 9,001,559 tons. There were in 1891 173 miles of tramway.
In 1896 there were in the Republic 25,345 miles of telegraph lines with 59,060 miles of wire. The national lines had a length of 11,023 miles with 23,572 miles of wire; the railway telegraph lines, 7,070 miles with 18,717 miles of wire ; the telegraph companies' lines, 4,428 miles with 7,462 miles of wire ; and other undertakings, 2,824 miles of line with 9,309 miles of wire. The number of telegraphic despatches (1896) was 4,953,887. There were 1,237 offices.
The Post Office in the year 1896 carried 177,641,000 letters and packets, of which 24,947,340 were international. There are 1,660 offices (post and telegi-aph). The receipts in 1896 from the postal and telegraph service were 30,069,799 pesos, and the expenditure 27,169,020 pesos.
Money and Credit.
By law of October 16, 1891, the old National Bank was placed in liquida- tion, and a new bank, called -Banco de la Nacion Argentina,' with a capital of hfty million dollars was opened on December 1, 1891. There are 14 State banks (exclusive of the old National Bank) and many private banks.
The total coinage of the Argentine mint has been to the nominal amount of: gold, 31,716,545 pesos ; silver, 2,805,840 pesos.
The paper currency in August, 1897, amounted to 285,115,964 pesos. Of this amount, 75,488,542 pesos had been issued by the nation and the Treasury; 193,218,285 pesos by various banks (including 120,103,907 pesos by the National Bank) ; and 16,409,137, pesos by guaranteed banks.
In 1878 the Provincial Government of Buenos Ayres founded the Municipal loan and savings bank, which in 1888 became the property of the Municipality. Its capital is 300,000 dollars.
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