1 Exclusive of 1,142,477 tons toll free on the Manchester Ship Canal. The paid-up capital (from all sources) of the canals, &c., not belonging to railway companies was, in 1898-in England and Wales 35,091,4037.; in Scotland 1,254,0477.; in Ireland 1,583,8297.; total 37,929,2797. The Manchester Ship Canal, opened in 1894, is 35 miles in length, 26 ft. in depth (but Parliamentary powers have been obtained to increase the depth to 28 feet), and except for about 1 mile near Latchford) not less than 120 ft. in bottom width. The minimum width of the locks is 65 ft. The large docks at Manchester are 26 ft. deep, and the smaller 20 ft. A new dock (the ninth) is being constructed, 2,700 ft. long and 250 ft. wide. The caual is in direct communication with all the large canals of the district. The authorised capital of the Company is 17,512,000l. The revenue of the canal in 1903 amounted to 397,0261., and the working expenses to 230,8491., leaving a balance of 166,1771., in addition to which the net revenue from the working of the Bridgewater department amounted to 22,8571., and general interest to 2,8811., making the total net revenue for the year 191,9157, III. POST AND TELEGRAPHS. The The number of post-offices in the United Kingdom at the end of March, 1904, was 22,850; there were besides 37,521 road and pillar letter-boxes. There were then 188,031 persons (148,769 males, and 39,262 females) employed by the department. Of these 81,865 (11,092 women), were established officers. higher officials numbered 470; postmasters and subpostmasters in established positions, 1,339; clerks and superintendents, 8,602; counter-clerks and telegraphists, &c., 31,699; postmen, mechanics, porters, &c., 39,749; officials abroad, 11. The persons employed in unestablished positions, including 21,197 postmasters and subpostmasters, numbered 106,166 (28,170 women). The following tabular statement gives the number of letters, in millions, delivered in each of the three divisions of the United Kingdom, and the average number for each individual of the population, in 1894 and the last five years :— The following are the statistics of post-cards, book-packets, newspapers, and parcels delivered in 1903-1904, and the number per head of population : The number and value of money orders issued by the Post Office in 1895 (ending March 31) and during the last five years were as follows: The table includes telegraph orders, the number of which, issued inland, in 1903-4 was 475,738 to the amount of 1,384,9257., while those issued to or from foreign countries numbered 16,891 to the amount of 91,4357. The inland orders in 1903-04 were as follows: The number and value of postal orders in years ending March 31 were as follows: The telegraphs were transferred to the State on February 5, 1870; on March 31, 1904, the British Postal Telegraphs had 51,483 miles of telegraph line, and 554,500 miles of wire. The following table gives the number of telegraphic messages forwarded from postal telegraph stations in 1894-95 and in each of the last five years : The total number of telegraph offices at post offices was (March 31, 1904), 9,976; at railway stations, 2,357; total, 12,333. There are now 58 miles of pneumatic tubes in London, connecting the Central Office with others. On March 31, 1904, there were 396 post offices open for trunk telephone business; the length of telephone trunk lines was 51,400 miles and of trunk The wire was 102,800 miles; the trunk circuits in use numbered 1,418; the number of conversations during the year was 13,467,975. The Post Office had 8,584 contracts for private wires, and telephone exchange wires, embracing 49,210 miles of wire and 20,377 instruments. The trunk system is being rapidly extended, and local exchanges are placed in connection with it. National Telephone Company works in definitely assigned areas by license granted by the Post Office, paying royalties amounting for 1903-04 to 169,8531. There is inter-communication between the Post Office lines and those of the Company. The revenue and expenditure of the Post Office in respect of the postal and telegraph departments respectively, have been as follows in five years, ending March 31 : In the total receipts is included the estimated value of services to other departments (postal, 265, 2947., and telegraph 61,9577. in 1903-04), and in the expenditure the cost of sites and buildings (postal, 375,6657., and telegraph, with extension, 682,5917.). Not included in the telegraph expenditure is the sum of 298, 8607. interest paid on 10,867,6447. capital created for the purchase of the telegraphs. Money and Credit. The following table shows the value of the money issued from the Royal Mint in the years named, and of the imports and exports of British gold and silver coin There is no State bank in the United Kingdom, but the Bank of England, the Bank of Scotland, and the Bank of Ireland have royal charters, and the first and the last lend money to the Government. The following are some statistics of the Bank of England for December of the years stated :— 10,525 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 £1,000 1864 28,036 14,650 13,386 17,910 22,078 30,611 1874 35,784 15,000 20,784 17,646 26,761 34,056 1884 35,562 15,750 19,812 17,669 34,206 40,467 1894 47,065 16,800 30,265 17,720 37,223 31,272 21,389 2,282 1901 47,824 19,775 30,049 17,711 48,485 46,531 17,670 2,016 1902 46,015 18,175 27,840 17,810 65,284 64,845 16,322 1,936 1903 45,461 18,450 27,010 17,761 56,473 55,660 16,673 1,901 1904 46,884 18,450 28,434 17,752 53,495 51,074 18,680 1,493 £1,000 £1,000 8,663 714 709 883 The following are some statistics of the joint-stock banks (including the national banks) of England, Scotland, and Ireland for June 30 of the years stated: There were in June, 1904, 64 joint-stock banks, making returns in England and Wales, with 4,417 branches; 1 in the Isle of Man with 7 branches; 1 in the Channel Islands; 11 in Scotland, 1,137 branches; and 9 in Ireland, 653 branches. There were 33 offices in London of colonial jointstock banks, with 2,082 branches; and 28 of foreign banks, with 1,031 branches. Of 14 private banks, which made returns in England and Wales, |