150 



CHILI. 



gentine Republic hope to be connected in the 

 summer of 1888. Besides the 2,274 kilometres 

 in operation in 1886, there are short railways 

 to coal-mines, as, for example., to Coronel, 5 

 kilometres; to Lota, 3; between Lebu and 

 Punta Arenas de Magallanes, and a tramway of 

 8 kilometres from Port San Antonio to Boca de 

 Maipu. 



The total cost of Government railroads in 

 Chili, on Dec 31, 1884, was $42,107,934, and 

 the movement on them had been as follows : 



ITEMS. 



Gross earnings 



Expenses 



Net earnings 



Passengers conveyed 



Merchandise forwarded (met- 

 rical cwts.) 



1883. 



$5,561,690 

 8,008,317 

 2,553,373 

 2,347,037 



9,989,134 



1884. 



$6.000,053 

 3,141,295 



2,858,758 

 2,515,077 



10,693,735 



In Santiago there are in operation 56 kilo- 

 metres of horse-railroads, and in Valparaiso 

 10. There are also tramways in Concepcion, 

 Chilian, Limache, Rengo, Quillota, and Talca. 



Highways. The Government is keeping in 

 good condition upward of 700 public highways, 

 of a total length of 50,000 kilometres ; and the 

 municipalities and private parties keep in re- 

 pair 1,600 highways, with an extent of 40,000 

 kilometres. 



Inland Navigation. Seventy-eight navigable 

 water-courses traverse the interior, the aggre- 

 gate distance being 4,500 kilometres. 



Telegraphs. The Government has under its 

 charge the telegraph system of the republic, 

 there being in operation, in 1885, 126 offices; 

 the length of wire was 10,320 kilometres, and 

 the cost had been $688,189. There were sent 

 411,784 private messages, against 393,781 the 

 previous year, and 110,390 Government mes- 

 sages, against 84,841 ; the receipts being $198,- 

 609 against $173,417. The public may also 

 avail themselves of a private line between San- 

 tiago and Valparaiso, and of another between 

 Santa Rosa de los Andes and the Argentine 

 Republic. Finally, there is the cable along the 

 Chilian coast, in communication northward 

 with the world's cable system. 



Finances. The report of the Chilian Minister 

 of Finance, made on June 1, 1886, showed that 

 the ordinary and casual income in 1884 had 

 been $39,910,133, being much more consider- 

 able than in 1883 ; thus, the customs duties 

 reached $26,139,601, being $924,192 greater 

 than in 1883. During the first eleven months of 

 1885 the revenue from customs did not exceed 

 $21,299,874, whereas during the corresponding 

 period of 1884 it had attained $23,115,809. 

 As the actual expenditure in 1884 was $44,- 

 874,666, there remained in the treasury on Jan. 

 1, 1885, including a balance from the previous 

 year $6,902,164. Without counting this bal- 

 ance, the revenue was estimated to have 

 reached $36,580,000 in 1885, while the budget 

 for 1886 was fixed at $35,080,000 income, and 

 the outlay was estimated at the same figure. 

 The foreign indebtedness outstanding on Jan. 



1, 1885, amounted to $33,843,000. The annu- 

 al interest on the foreign debt amounts to 

 $3,405,419. There is a home debt, arising 

 from expenditure during the war of independ- 

 ence, for railroads, and for the Spanish war, 

 as well as for the one with Peru and Bolivia. 

 Part of this debt bears from 3 to 7 per cent, 

 interest, while there is a sinking-fund of be- 

 tween 4 a d 4 per cent. On Jan. 1, 1885, 

 the domestic debt was $53,500,626. Chili's 

 total indebtedness was consequently, $60,430,- 

 329 on Jan. 1, 1885 ; but since then it has de- 

 creased $3,350,000, the loan of 1878 repaid. 



The Government withdraws from circulation 

 and cancels annually $1,500,000 paper money; 

 and will continue doing so till it is reduced to 

 $16,000,000, and as much silver is kept in re- 

 serve in the treasury for the eventual resump- 

 tion of specie payment in that metal. The 

 Mint purchased, in 1885, $72,122 worth of gold, 

 against $90,928 in 1884 ; and $736,443 of sil- 

 ver, against $1,637,414. It coined in gold, 

 silver, copper, and nickel, $647,287 in 1885, 

 against $1,981,371 in 1884. The paper money 

 in circulation issued by banks is $12,911,443. 



There are, finally, four loan banks at San- 

 tiago entitled to issue notes to bearer with 

 interest, making advances on real estate ; the 

 notes to be withdrawn at a fixed date. 



Commerce. The foreign-trade movement in 

 Chili has been as follows: 



MOVEMENT. 



1884. 



1885. 



Import $52,886,846 $41,21 8,725 



Export 57,766,450 51,490,286 



Total $110,653,296 $92,709,011 



Decrease 17,944,285 



The imports, in two years, were as follow : 



NATIONS. 1884. 1885. 



From England $20,528,348 $15,505,558 



From Germany 10,259,840 7,116,525 



From France 8,561 ,773 6,480,861 



From Argentine Republic. . . . 8,434,152 8,283.239 



From United States 4,160,570 2,721,265 



From Peru 2,936,000 2,645,316 



From other nations 8,006,168 8,515,961 



Total $52,886,846 $41,218,725 



The exports, in the same years, were as fol- 

 low: 



NATIONS. 1884. 1885. 



To England . . . . $41,955,582 $89,878,588 



To Germany 8,863,943 8,240,785 



To France 8,767,369 2,705,012 



To Peru 2,810,989 1 ,767,503 



To United States . . . 1,386,315 1,627,003 



To Ecuador 1,014,998 452,901 



To other nations 8,017,254 1,818,583 



Total $57,766,450 $51,490,286 



The Chilian copper exportation has been, in 

 1882, 43,129 tons; in 1883, 41,229 tons; in 

 1884, 41,780 tons; in 1885, 37,000 tons. The 

 Chilian nitrate of soda exportation has been: 



