582
JAPAN
The merchant vessels entered from Foreign Countries in 1908 were divided among the different nationalities as under :-
Strs.
Japanese
6,309 8,629,759 2,620
Tonnage Sailing Tonnage Total Tonnage
91,084
8,929 8,720,843
British
2,264
6,400,830
3
8,292 2,267
6,409,122
German
660
1,847,957
660 1,847,957
United States of America
258
1,603,202
6
3,867
264 1,607,069
French.
138
430,083
3
5,794
141 435,877
Russian
171
342,203
1
79
172
342,282
Norwegian
274
314,305
274
314,305
Dutch
63
175,227
63
175,227
Austrian
42
160,085
42
160,086.
Chinese
84
83,080
8+
83,080
Danish
26
66,028
Other Countries
41
51,497
66
13
26
66,028
2,204
107
53,701
111,320
13,029 20,215,577
Totals, 10,330 20,104,257 2,699
The total Customs Revenue for the 1908-09 was yen 41,410,920.
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 3,116 miles of State railway, and 1,691 miles of private railway. 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 is 2,812 miles, the cost of construction being about yen 229,000,000, Public loan bonds to the value of yen 476,318,000 are to be 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 253 miles of electric tramway in Japan, and 156 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 1894 a new treaty was signed with Great Britain by which extra-territoriality 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 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 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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