790 



VENEZUELA. 



VEEMONT. 



republic 162 post-offices, which in 1886 for- 

 warded 2,911,400 items of mail matter, against 

 2,673,404 in 1883. The annual expenditure is 

 583,868 francs. 



Railroads and Telegraphs. In 1887 there were 

 in the country 232 kilometres of railway open 

 to traffic, with 407 more in course of con- 

 struction. Besides, several contracts have been 

 made for the construction of 1,982 kilometres, 

 which will give a total of 2,622 kilometres. 



On Jan. 1, 1888, the telegraphic lines of 

 Venezuela made an extension of 4,179 kilo- 

 metres. During the fiscal year of 1885-'86, the 

 offices transmitted 68,066 official messages and 

 174,320 private telegrams. The Venezuelan 

 Government has granted a concession for two 

 submarine cables between that country and 

 the United States. The concession will carry 

 with it a liberal subsidy for a term of years, 

 and will last seventy years. 



Finances. On Jan. 1, 1887, the public in- 

 debtedness included a home debt amounting to 

 39,285,692 francs, and a foreign debt of 67,- 

 016,250 francs. The budget estimate forlSS^-'S 

 was 27,695,000 francs income, the expenditure 

 being the same. 



Tariff Changes. An important change in the 

 tariff, effectually prohibiting the importation 

 of foreign lumber, was promulgated in January, 

 1887. The custom heretofore observed has 

 been to admit, free of duty, all classes of ma- 

 chinery. But admission upon such terms, 

 must hereafter depend upon the pleasure of 

 the President. 



In February a decree was issued abolishing 

 the discriminating duty of 30 per cent, on Eu- 

 ropean and American goods coming from the 

 West Indies. In May the duty on raaccaroni 

 and vermicelli was raised from 15 cents to 25 

 cents a kilogramme, and on the flour for making 

 them from 2 to 5 cents a kilogramme. 



Education. In the fourteen years from 1872 

 to 1886, there was an increase in the public 

 schools of 1,565 schools and 84,385 pupils. 

 There are in the country 2 universities, 6 first- 

 class federal colleges, 14 second class, 4 normal 

 schoois, 24 private colleges, 9 national colleges 

 for girls, 1 polytechnic school, 1 of arts and 

 trades, 1 naval and 1 telegraphic school. 



The libraries and public collections that ex- 

 isted in the public offices and suppressed con- 

 vents were consolidated in 1874 into the Li- 

 brary of the University of Caracas, which now 

 contains 28,895 volumes. The library is open 

 daily to the public. 



The National Musuem, founded also in 1874, 

 contains numerous collections of natural his- 

 tory and national history, which, after the 

 exhibition of Bolivar's Centennial in 1883, 

 were enriched with ethnographical, zoological, 

 and geological specimens and valuable samples 

 of all the natural products of the country. 



Commerce. The imports for 1885-'86 were 

 valued at 47,168,277 francs, and the exports at 

 82,304,289 francs. Among the imports were 

 15,296,873 francs from the United States ; from 



England, 9, 690, 105 francs; from France, 9,272,- 

 379 francs ; from Germany, 8,949,085 francs; 

 and from the West Indies, 1,680,691 francs. 

 The chief articles exported were coffee, 35,- 

 733,423 francs, worth; Cocoa, 8,447,986 francs; 

 hides, 3,695,312 francs; skins, 2,877,746 francs; 

 ore, 3,263,900 francs; cattle, 834,366 francs. 

 The export of gold amounted to 21,230,800 

 francs, and there was also specie to the amount 

 of 4,442,707 francs. 



The American trade was as follows: 



Survey of Lake Maracaybo. Early in 1887 the 

 United States Government sent to Maracaybo 

 the dispatch boat " Dolphin," for the purpose 

 of surveying the lake and port of Maracaybo, 

 with their approaches, the charts in use being 

 old and unreliable. Lake Maracaybo has never 

 been surveyed, and it is uncertain what kind 

 of vessel may be placed on it. The lake is 

 130 miles long, by 70 miles wide. The lands 

 about it are rich, producing India-rubber, cof- 

 fee, and articles of food. 



VERMONT. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, Ebenezer J. Ormsbee, Eepublican ; 

 Lieutenant-Governor, Levi K. Fuller; Secre- 

 tary of State, Charles W. Porter : Treasurer, 

 William H. DuBois; Auditor, E. Henry Pow- 

 ell ; Inspector of Finance, Carroll S. Page ; 

 Commissioner of Taxes, W. P. Dillingham ; 

 Railroad Commissioner, Thomas O. Seaver; 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, Justus 

 Dartt; Chief- Justice, Homer E. Eoyce ; Asso- 

 ciate Justices, Jonathan Ross, H. Henry Pow- 

 ers, Wheelock G. Veazey, Russell S. Taft, John 

 W. Rowell, and William II. Walker. There 

 was no general election and no legislative ses- 

 sion during the year. 



Finances. For the year ending July 31, 1887, 

 the Treasurer reports receipts amounting to 

 $426,797.14 ; cash on hand at the beginning of 

 the year, $160,974.97 ; total, $587,772.11. The 

 expenditures during the same period were 

 $566,295.34, leaving a balance of $21,476.77 in 

 the treasury on July 31. The largest receipts 

 were derived from the tax on corporations, 

 which amounted to $220,702.05. The convict 

 labor of the State yielded an income of $10,- 

 335.50, and the courts and judges of probate 

 paid into the treasury $45,083.03. 



The liabilities of the State on July 31 

 amounted to $234,165. The Legislature of 

 1886 provided for the assessment for the year 

 1887-'88 of a property-tax which will yield a 

 revenue of $210,017 in addition to the ordinary 

 income for that year, and will enable the Treas- 

 urer to cancel the floating debt. 



Education. The following statistics exhibit 

 the condition of the public schools for the year 

 ending March 31, 1887: Number of districts, 

 2,116; number of schools, 2,547; number of 



