INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
539
Internal Communication. I. Rivers, Railways, etc.
In 1898 there were in France 38,214 kilometres of national roads.
Navigable rivers (1897), 8,832 kilometres ; actually navigated, 6,630 kilometres ; canals, 4,930 kilometres ; actually navigated, 4,851 kilometres ; rivers navigable for rafts, 2,925 kilometres.
The traffic on the rivers and canals, expressed in millions of metric tons carried one kilometre, has been : —
Year
Canals
Rivers
Total
1893
2,065
1,539
3,604
1894
2,260
1,652
. 3,912
1895
2,158
1,608
3,766
1896
2,466
1,725
4,191
1897
2,540
1,826
4,366 i
By a law of 1842, the construction of railways was left mainly to companies, superintended, and if necessary assisted, by the State ; which now constructs lines which the companies work, and works on its own account one important State system. There are lines of local interest subventioned by the State or by the departments. The concessions granted to the six great companies expire at various dates from 1950 to 1960 ; the periods of State guarantee of four of them terminate at the end of 1914, and of the others in 1934 and 1935. In 1830 there were in France 24 miles of railway ; in 1860, 4,000 miles ; in 1890, 20,666 miles; in 1896, 22,707 miles, including 1,700 miles belong- ing to the State. There are, besides, 2,404 miles of railway of local interest. The length of line of general interest open for tralfic, cost of construc- tion, receipts, and working expenses have been : —
Year
Length Miles
Construction Cost
Receipts Expenses
T> Goods ! Passengers Carried j
1893 1894 1895 1896 1897
21,952 22,339 22,505 23,018 23,167
£1,000
607,000 615,480 620,840 628,480
£1,000 £1,000 48,190 27,515 49,359 27,491 50,542 27,362 51,906 27,464 52,522
1,000's 317,819 336,554 348,852 363,009
1,000 tons
97,023
99,105
100,834
104,046
There are 2,610 miles of railway of local interest.
On December 31, 1896, the length of tramways worked was : for goods and passengers, 1,600 miles ; for passengers only, 634 miles ; total, 2,234 miles.
II. Posts and Telegraphs.
Oil January 1, 1897, France had 8,826 post-offices, and Algeria, 517. The postal (including telegraph and telephone) receipts for France alone in
