The pottery of Egarpt also deserves a word of praise, chiefly for the merit of the bardalcs or water-jars. Coarse cotton cloths, and cloths of mixed cotton and wool, are largely made in the country; silk is cultivated to some extent; and the cultivation of the sugar-cane received a great impulse from the viceroy, Ismail, who, at a great expense, erected a number of mills. Goods carried by the Suez Canal do not form part of the commerce of the country, and the transit trade proper is of little importance. In 1915, 4,590 steamers of registered tonnage of 12,353, 573 cleared at Egyptian ports and 1,465 sailing vessels (foreign and coastal) of 85,726 tons. The produce of cotton had increased from 5,001,000 kantars (1 kan tar =99.05 lbs.) in 1909-10 to 6,878,000 kantars in 1914-15. In 1915 the area sown and yield of wheat were 1,592,085 acres and 1,060,000 tons; barley 462, 577 acres and 300,000 tons; maize and millet, 2,194,031 acres; rice, 330,923 acres. In the same year the sugar exports amounted to 26,257 tons, valued at $2.868,075, and of the cotton exports to 6,899,122 kantars valued at $95,728220. The imports for 1915 were valued at f96,644,965 (of which Great Britain sent $43,69 ,990) and exports at $135,234,360 (of which Great Britain took $69,678,125).
unfortunate financial situa tion under the former khedives, becoming banIcrupt in the time of Ismail Pasha, was in reality a blessing in disguise for the laboring classes, since it led to the reform of conditions which had become well-nigh intolerable. The taxes were exacted with bnital rigor, even torture being resorted to in their collection and they were moreover excessive. The principal taxes were the Kharagh or territorial tax, Werka or income tax and Hirai or tax on com merce. From the start the property of the lchedive and his higher officials were exempted. The English regime has lowered the linposts by over i2,000,000 ($10,000,000) annually and has abolished altogether the hated tax on salt, also the bridge and port tolls on the Nile and those collected from trading barks and fishing vessels. The registration tax on land sales has been reduced from 5 to 2 per cent, also those on water transport, and the customs duties on coal, combustible liquids, building wood, petro leum, meat and foodstuffs. The mland fisheries have been relieved of the vexatious restrictions under which they formerly labored. The postal, telegraph and railway rates have also under gone a material reducuon. Thus it may be said that at present the Egyptians, especially those dwelling in the citi.es and towns, are unburdened by imposts of any kind. Up to 1888 the finances of the country were piling up a yearly deficit.
This condition has been remedied until there is now an annual surplus and each year there ap pears less and less necessity of imposing special taxes for the various public works which the country needs imperatively and the government's reserve fund has increased and also the sum set aside for the amortization of the foreign debt There has been established a Farmers' Bank which has advanced over 0,000,000 ($45,000, 000) to the cultivators of the soil through the medium of co-operative societies under the patronage of the government Until 1885 resi dent Europeans. were exempt from taxes, oc cupying a privileged situation, thanks. to the capitulation privileges granted at the tune the Turks were defeated. In the year mentioned, however, the several powers interested declared resident Europeans subject to several taxes, such as the house tax, stamps and licenses, etc., but these provisions were not enforced until 1891. The 1913 budget estimated the revenues from all sources at $8,065,000 and the disburse ments at $78,150,000. The chief sources of revenue are land taxes, about $27,500,000 annu ally, railways ($19,000,000), customs ($11,000, 000) and tobacco ($19,000,000). The chief items of disbursement are: administration costs (about $25,000,000 yearly), the debt service ($17,500,000 yearly) and the railways ($10,000, 000 yearly). The foreign debt of Egypt dates from 1862 when loans were made to wipe out the floating debt. Other loans followed and finances were subject to the joint direction of France and England until 1879. In 1876 the several issues were consolidated into one debt of $455,000,000. The administration of the finances is almost entirely in British hands. In 1912 the foreign debt consisted of the 3 per cent guaranteed loan of $36,592,500, the per cent privileged debt of $155,638,900, the unified 4 per cent debt of $279,859800 and the 4% per cent dominion loan of $1,017,100, a total foreign debt of $473,108,300, with yearly interest of $17,803,475. Reserve fund estab lished in 1880-90 amounted in 1911 to $29, 238,060. At the beginning of 1913 the for eign debt was reduced to $471,748,400. The revenue for 1915-16 was $73,780,000 and the expenditure $79,500,000. In January 1915 the public debt stood at $470,144,200, the charges for interest and sinking fund amounting to $17, 756,330.
Money, Weights and By de cree of 14 Nov. 1883 the monetary unit of Egypt is the Egyptian pound, divided into 100 piastres, weighing 8.5 grammes, .875 fine and containing therefore 7.4375 grammes of pure gold. Therefore L E= #1 — Os — 6% =$5.00. The piastre (kush or kurush) equals 5 cents, and is divided into 10 parts called ochre) guerche.