508
JAPAN
The total Shipping, including junks, from and to Foreign countries for the year
1905 was-
Entered Tonnage Cleared
Steamers
7,833
14,259,537
Sailing Vessels
2,217
113,546
7,775 2,520
Tonnage 14,075,740 120,085
Total Tonnage. 15,608 28,335,277
4,737
233,631
10,050 14,373,083 10,295 14,195,825 20,345 28,568,908 The merchant vessels entered from Foreign countries in 1905 were divided among the different nationalities as under :-
Strs.
Tonnage Sailing Tonnage Total Tonnage
Japanese
2,400
1,771,765 2,153
67,343
4,553
1,839,108
British
2,518
6,754,378
8
12,761
2,526
6,767,139
German
801
1,918,720
11
17,590
812
1,936,310
Russian
12
30,613
12
30,613
United States of America
423
1,842,822
13
14,851
436
1,857,673
Norwegian
1.200
1,211,829
1,200
1,211,529
French
104
239,885
104
239,895
Austrian
34
118,613
34
118,613
Other Countries
341
370,912
32
1,001
373
371,913
7,833 14,259,537
2,217
113,546 10,050 14,373,083
The total Customs Revenue for the same year consisted of-Export Duties, nil; Import Duties, yen 34,298,519; Miscellaneous, yen 882,615; Total, yen 35,181,134. The revenue shows an increase of yen 13,950,892 compared with that of 1994.
Extension of the Japanese railway system has proceeded uninterruptedly since the first line was laid in 1872. The mileage open to traffic, according to the latest returns, was 1,461 miles of State railway, and 3,232 miles of private railway. The Government last year decided on the State ownership of all railways which are used for general traffic, the object being to improve the facilities for direct traffic over long distances, to accelerate transportation, and to cheapen the cost. The Government proposed to purchase the lines belonging to thirty-two private companies within a period extending from 1996 to 1911, but the House of Peers, when the Bills came before them, reduced the number of companies to be bought out to seventeen, and extended the period of purchase to 1915. The aggregate length of the lines it was decided to purchase is 2,812 miles, the cost of construction being about yen 229,000,000. It was also decided to purchase forthwith the railway running between Fusan and Seoul. It is proposed to issue a public loan of not less than 421,000,000 yen for the purchase of railways, and it is intended to redeem by means of the net profit accruing from the railways purchased. There are about 130 miles of electric tramway in Japan, and 82 miles more under construction.
By treaties made with a number of foreign Governments the Japanese ports of Kanagawa (Yokohama), Nagasaki, Kobe, Hakodate, Niigata, and the cities of Tokyo (formerly called Yedo) and Osaka were thrown open to foreign commerce. In 1891 a new treaty was signed with Great Britain by which extraterritoriality was abolished and the whole country opened to foreign trade and residence, the treaty to come into force in July, 1899, provided similar treaties were effected with the other Powers. This was done and extraterritoriality ceased to exist on August 4th, 1899.
CURRENCY
From October, 1897, Japan placed her currency on a gold basis. The unit of value is a gold dollar weighing 8333 grammes and containing .75 grammies of fine gold. The conversion from silver to gold was effected at the ratio of 1 to 32.348. A scarcity of money available for mercantile purposes with a high rate of interest was much felt during 1900 and again in 1903.
EDUCATION
Education is national and very general in Japan, and is making great progress. There are numerous Higher Schools, Middle Schools, Normal Schools, and Colleges for special studies, such as Law, Science, Medicine, Mining, Agriculture, and Foreign Languages, and several Female High Schools have been established, and are carefully fostered by the Government. In order to facilitate the prosecution of foreign studies the Government employs many European professors, and also sends, at the public expense, a large number of students every year to America and Europe.
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