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ESTHONIA

which on December 1, 1919, was re-opened as an Esthonian seat of learning maintained by the Government; number of students (1920) 2,127; the Technicum at Tallinn is a higher professional school with 500 students in 1920.

Justice.—The supreme judicial power is invested in the State Court of Justice, which is elected by the State Assembly and sits in Tartu (Dorpat).

The laws are being gradually revised by the State Assembly.

Finance.—The total State expenditure for the year 1919 was 1,500,000,000 marks (analogous to the Finnish marks and equal to 100 pence). For 1920 the revenue was estimated at 1,071,500,000 marks, and the expenditure at 979,450,000 marks.

Particulars of the Budget estimates for 1920 are given as follows:—

Revenue 1,000 Marks
Income Tax 180,000
Other taxes 160,000
State enterprises 546,500
Various 60,000
Extraordinary 125,000
Total 1,071,500
Expenditure 1,000 Marks
Ministry of War 168,000
,, ,, Communications 325,000
Ministry of Finance 175,000
Other Ministries 311,450
Total 979,450

Defence.—During the war with Soviet Russia all classes from 19 to 35 years were mobilised, and an army of more than 90,000 was created. The army is composed of three divisions. In peace times the army consists of 15,000 men. The Esthonian Fleet consists of two destroyers and two gunboats.

Production.—Agriculture is the chief occupation. Half the area of Esthonia was taken up by large landed properties of more than 2,000 hectares each. By the passing of the Agrarian Reform Bill these estates were parcelled out to the peasants. The arable land is divided as follows:—Fields, 2,318,004 acres; meadows, 2,408,840 acres; pastures, 1,671,837 acres. Twenty per cent. of the surface is forest land. The principal crops, with acreage and yield, are shown as follows:—

Acreage Yield in Bushels
1910 1920 1910 1920
Rye 825,886 376,004 4,903,402 6,435,488
Wheat 32,615 37,851 441,072 612,980
Barley 263,153 297,458 4,500,030 5,968,308
Potatoes 138,963 155,518 19,082,080 25,240,705

In 1920 Esthonia had 363,263 head of cattle, 436,259 sheep, 213,002 pigs, and 155,262 horses.

Commerce.—The chief exports are flax, timber, cellulose, and meat. The trade in 1920 amounted to 3,912,894 pouds (61 pouds = 1 ton) of imports and 7,675,508 pouds of exports. Of the total imports, 1,142,759 pouds came from the United Kingdom and 1,298,670 pouds from Germany; of the total exports, 3,531,362 pouds went to the United Kingdom and 275,905 to Germany.