SHIPPING AND COMMUNICATIONS
223
1919
Country of Origin
Per cent.
or Toui
Tataa
Ter cent.
i r Total
Foreign CountrU*.
United States
6,771,238
13S
12,07 •
24 10
Bolgian Congo .
1,016,208
•2 1
14,610
•03
Sweden ....
.•'i;
2
869,750
174
Holland ....
37 1
0-8
40
Switzerland
603
1-0
345,478
•60
rtr.ua
1-6
634."
1-27
Argentine ....
M -
1-3
160,471
32
France ....
48M
10
•■H.w:
1 -22
Japan ....
2,6*57
5-4
1,804,804
3-60
Other Foreign Countries .
1,75-
33
1,899,406
3-80
Total— Foreign Countries .
15,955,466
326
18,0'.-
3717
Total— General Merchandiw-
48,1156,320
100
50,090,175
100
The total exports, excluding gold and specie, in 1919, were 52,098,752/., of which 29,770,104/. went to the United Kingdom ; 4,101,186/. to the rest of the Empire ; 7,961,115/. to the U.S.A. ; and 3,779.613/. to Japan.
Shipping and Communications.
Oversea shipping 1919: entered, 1,075 vessels of 3,647,000 tons net; cleared, 1,070 of 3,586,000 tons. Coastwise: entered, 2,124 vessels of 4,013,000 tons net ; cleared 2,100 of 4,040,000 tons.
Prior to Union, which took effect in May, 1910, the state railways of the several colonies now comprising the Union were operated by the separate Governments. In May, 1910, the Government lines were merged into one system, the South African Railways, under the control of the Union Govern- ment. The total open mileage of this system at the end of March, 1919, was 9,542 (comprising Cape 4,254 miles, Orange Free State 1,342 miles, Transvaal 2,644 miles, and Natal, 1,302 miles), of which 8,982 miles are 3ft. 6 in. gauge, and 560 miles 2 ft. gauge. The capital expenditure on Government Railways up to March 31, 1919, amounted to 94,331,365/., including 15,323.292/. in respect of rolling stock. Milt age of private lines, 507 miles (Cape, 453, Natal, 50, O.F.S., 4).
At the end of 1919 there were in the Union 2,665 post of&Ves. Tele- grams dealt with numbered 7,230,935. The number of money orders issued during the year was 413,607, and the value 3,046,280/., while 417,279 orders of the value of 2,968,132/. were paid. 3,288,645 postal orders amounting to 1,939,663/. were issued, and 2.929,539, valued at 1,649,684/. paid.
The revenue of the Post Office in 1919 was 1,277,100/.. and the expenditure 1,367,350/. The revenue of the telegraph and telephone services (excluded from the previous figures) was 950,683/., and the expenditure 950,194/.
12,842 miles of telegraph line, carrying 43,938 miles of wire, and 3,250 miles of telephone line, carrying 128,604 miles of wire, were open. 7,673 wireless messages were dealt with during the year 1919.
The number of depositors in the Government Savings Bank in the Union at the end of March, 1920, was 307,486, and the amount standing to their credit was 7,079,789/.
