JAPAN
Strs.
Tonnage Sailing Tonnage
Total Tonnage
Brought forward...... 9,203
22,972,783
294 47,157
9,497 23,019,940
Dutch.
61
172,156
:
· 61 · · ` . : 172,156,
Danish
43
125,198
Norwegian
51
110,9 1
:
.43 ... 125,198
51
M
Austrian
25
91,337
Swedish
32
86,855
Chinese
35
23,325
Italian
1
1,907
·
110,921
25
91,337
32
.86,835
35...
23,325
1.
1,907
Totals...... 9,451 23,584,482
294
47,157
9,745 · 23,631,639*
The Customs Revenue for the year 1914 was Y51,828,654. Extension of the Japanese railway systems has proceeded uninterruptedly since the first line was laid in 1872. The mileage open to traffic. according to the latest returns, is 5,473 miles of State railway, and 1,121 miles of private railway. (This does not include the South Manchurian Co.'s lines, which measure 697 miles.) The Government in 1906 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 1906 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 was 2,812 miles, the cost of construction being about Yen 220,000,000. Public loan bonds to the value of Yen 476,318,000 were issued for the purchase of the railways, and it is intended to redeem by means of the net profit accruing from the railways purchased. This profit amounts to about eight million yen a year? The purchases included the line of railway in Corea, running between Fusan and Seoul. As a result of the war with Russia, the South Manchurian Railway was taken over by Japan. There are about 811 miles of electric tramway in Japan, and 290 miles more under construction.
By treaties made with a number of foreign Government's 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 1894 new treaties were signed with the Powers by which extra-territoriality was abolished and the whole country opened to foreign trade and residence, the treaty to conie into force in July, 1899, provided similar treaties were effected with the other Powers. This was done and extra-territoriality 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 grammes of fine gold. The conversion from silver to gold was effected at the ratio of 1 to 32.348.
EDUCATION
Education is national and very general in Japan, and is making great progress. There are numerous High 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.