GUATEMALA. 



The film-lit inn:il movement, which owes its 

 origin to the Harrios Administration, continues 

 t<> rli.'it tin- admiration of all interested in ita 

 progress. According to the report of the Min- 

 <>f Public Instruction, there are at pres- 

 ent in the republic, besides the University, the 

 Normal School, the Institute National (the 

 largest school in Central America), and other 

 institutions for higher branches of study, about 

 600 primary schools (165 of which are for fe- 

 males), with an average daily attendance of 

 26,822 scholars. The monthly expenditure in 

 teachers' salaries for these schools amounts to 

 $12,375, of which $7,807 is paid by the central 

 Government and the remainder by the munici- 

 palities. Unprecedented numbers of applica- 

 tions were made for admission to the various 

 schools, and unusual energy displayed in the 

 formation of new classes. The attendance at 

 the Military School, which had for a few years 

 considerably fallen off, has again risen to its 

 wonted average ; the Normal School, with a 

 thorough reorganization under the auspices of 

 a new director, began the year with an in- 

 crease of nearly 50 per cent in the number of 

 pupils; and at the Institute National the new 

 applicants were so numerous as to necessitate 

 the enlargement of the already extensive edi- 

 fice devoted to that highly creditable college. 

 The Government had resolved upon the adop- 

 tion of measures for educating the Indian pop- 

 ulation. 



Judging from the report of the Minister of 

 Finance, the condition of that department is 

 no less flattering than it was in 1877, since 

 which year no full returns have been published, 

 and for which the revenue and expenditures 

 were set down at $4,503,523 and $4,428,298 

 respectively, leaving a surplus of $75,225. In 

 the volume of the "Annual Cyclopaedia" for 



1878, however, it is remarked that, "in the 

 course of the year (1877), the Government 

 made proposals for a new loan of $1,000,000 

 to meet current expenses and for the amorti- 

 zation of the convertible debt " ; and as for 



1879, the Government, it is understood, to 

 provide for "immediate and pressing necessi- 

 ties, has issued a new internal loan, in bonds 

 bearing interest at one per cent, per month ; 

 offered to the public at 80, and regarded so 

 favorably that they are marketable at 78." 

 This loan is to be paid out of the proceeds of 

 the custom-house. 



The total amount of the national debt was 

 reported at $5,869,529 on January 1, 1879. A 

 committee appointed by Congress to consider 

 and report on the British debt, suggested that 

 a special tax of 5 or 6 per cent, be levied on 

 all taxable commodities in the republic, until 

 such time as the accumulated interest is paid 

 off, and that the first claim on the revenue of 

 the state be for the payment of the sums an- 

 nually due the bondholders. The suggestions 

 were favorably received by Congress, and the 

 urgency of their adoption unanimously sus- 

 tained. 



As complementary to the remarks in our 

 volume for 1878 on the International Bank, 

 we transcribe the subjoined extract from a re- 

 port dated December, 1879 : 



Among the most successful and useful enterprise* 

 which have been inaugurated in Guatemala during 

 late years must bo reckoned the International Bank. 

 Although but a little over a year in existence, this 

 bank has not only just paid a second dividend of $700 

 per share, but has also laid the basis of a powerful 

 reserve fund. Ito capital consist* of one nundred 

 shares at $10,000 each. Up to the present, only $7,000 

 per shore has been called in. with the result* given 

 above, which, of course, are highly satisfactory to the 

 bondholders. All over the republic the note* issued 

 by the bonk are received at par. 



The condition of commerce had not mate- 

 rially improved. The total values of the ex- 

 ports and imports for 1878 were $3,918,912 

 and $3,238,000 respectively, against $3,773,180 

 and $8,183,000 in 1877. Coffee was exported of 

 the value of $3,349,740 ; cochineal, $220,000 ; 

 muscovado sugar, $110,600; hides, $79,000; 

 specie, $320,000 ; indigo, $1,800. The propor- 

 tion of these articles taken by Great Britain 

 represented a value of $1,130,000 ; the United 

 States, $1,486,000 (New York, $149,126) ; 

 France, $492,000; Germany, $490,000. The 

 values of the imports from the countries just 

 named were as follows : Great Britain, $994.- 

 000; United States, $461,000; France, $513,- 

 000; Germany, $407,000. Duties were in- 

 creased 25 per cent., payable in cash. Ten 

 days' notice of this change was given to Cen- 

 tral American ports; thirty days' to Mexico, 

 California, and the republics of the south 

 coast; two months' to New York and the 

 West Indies ; and four or six months' to Eu- 

 ropean ports, according to the class of vessels 

 in which goods are embarked. The duties 

 now charged on merchandise may be esti- 

 mated when it is stated that entries at the 

 custom-house during the month ending June 

 26th amounted to $140,405, on which the da- 

 ties paid were $98,353, or over 70 per cent. ! 

 " The late change in the tariff is an added bur- 

 den to commerce, which looks hopefully for- 

 ward to good crops and a continuance of peace 

 for an improvement in the situation." 



The work on the Central Railway was pro- 

 gressing with nnremitting activity, and an offi- 

 cial report published in the Government jour- 

 nal under date of December 20, 1879, speaks 

 of the completion of two or three miles of the 

 line at the San Jose (Pacific coast) end of the 

 line; the arrival of some rolling -stock; the 

 expected early arrival of more ; and the pres- 

 ence of a locomotive in operation to aid in 

 the transport of materials, etc. Indeed, it is 

 understood that the entire necessary material 

 had been purchased early in the autumn : the 

 woodwork, etc., in San Francisco ; the locomo- 

 tives and other rolling-stock in Philadelphia ; 

 and the rails in London. This railway is es- 

 sentially an American enterprise, the company 

 having been organized at San Francisco, and 

 the shareholders and directors of the works 



