Following is a complete list of the Panama Government. telegraph and telephone offices: The Panama Railroad Company operates an extensive system of telegraph and telephone lines along the line of railway, which also ramifies throughout the canal works. This consists of a line of 18 wires from Colon to Culebra, and of 24 wires from Culebra to Panama. Eleven telephone exchanges and 32 telegraph offices are maintained. Total number of subscribers, about $50, mostly in canal offices. One wire of this system is used as a through circuit from New York to Buenos Aires. The cost of a ten word message across the Isthmus is 25 cents gold. There is also a local telephone exchange in Panama city operated by private capital under concessionary privileges. It has about 300 subscribers. Colon is the site of the only wireless telegraph station on the Isthmus. The nearest other station is at Puerto Limon, with which connection is regularly maintained. The Colon station is equipped with De Forest apparatus. Cables. Panama of the Present Day. 425 Three lines of cable communication reach the Isthmus. Two belong to the Central and South American Telegraph Co., and the other to the West India and Panama Co. The new "All American cable establishing direct communication between Colon and New York was laid during 1907, the work having been completed in July. Offices of the cable companies are maintained at both Panama and Colon. Do With the exception to points on the l'anaPost Offices. ma Railroad, in the Canal Zone, the transportation of mails on the Isthmus is almost wholly dependent on water communication. The National Navigation Company has the contract for carrying the mails on the Pacific side, and maintains a regular itinerary. From the ports, mail is carried into the interior by horseback. The headquarters of the postal system is in Panama city, with Mr. Samuel Boyd in charge as Postmaster General. mestic mail rates of the United States applies to mail. matter sent from there to points in the Republic of Panama, and the Canal Zone, although this does not seem very well understood by the merchants and manufacturers in the former country. The letter postage rate from the Republic of Panama to points in the United States is two and a-half cents gold. Panama being in the Postal Union the parcels post regulations govern, the rate being 12 cents per pound. The interior parcels post rates are 10 cents gold for one pound, and 35 cents gold for the maximum weight allowed, viz, 11 pounds. The post-offices of the Republic are as follows: Chepigana, Prov. of Panamá Toro Chiriquí Grande, Prov. of Bocas Chitré, Prov. of Los Santos · Panamá, Dist. Capital Schools are well distributed throughout the Schools. settled portion of the country, but in these only the primary grades are taught. The capital, however, offers excellent facillities for education in the higher grades in the following six institutions:-Normal School for girls; Normal School for Young Men; National College of Language and Commerce; Superior School for Young Ladies; Superior School for Young Men; National School of Music and Declamation, and School of Arts and Sciences. A school is also maintained in Panama city for the education of San Blas Indian boys. There are a number of private schools and colleges in addition to the above, a list of which will be found in the directory part of this volume. The Department of Public Instruction is in charge of Mr. Melchor Lasso de la Vega, who is indefatigable in his efforts toward building up the schools of the Republic. The degree of illiteracy among the true Panamanian class is surprisingly small, especially in the cities, much less so than in some localities in the Southern States. There are very few indeed that cannot read or writ. A large number of new school houses have been erected in the several provinces since the new Republic was formed, and cach year witnesses an increased interest in the cause of education. The number of schools, teach ers employed, enrollment, and average attendance in the schools of the Republic in 1906 was as follows: National Currency. At the time of the secession, the Colombian silver peso, and fractional denominations thereof, constituted the principal money in circulation on the Isthmus. This had a fluctuating value according to the current rate of exchange. The money changers usually gave $2.10 Colombian silver for $1 gold. but in commercial transactions the rate sometimes went as high as $2.15. Colombian paper, having a value of one cent gold to the dollar, was not accepted as legal tender. The present currency is known as the "Balboa" series, the balboa being a fictitious unit of value representing $1 gold. The highest actual denomination at present is the silver peso, or half-balboa piece, the value of all Panama silver currency being half the value of the same denominations in American gold. The other coins in circulation are the silver 50-cent piece, the 20-cent piece, the 10-cent piece, a nickel five cent piece, being being its actual goldvalue, and a two and one-half cent nickel piece, worth that amount in gold. With the original coinage, was minted a quantity of silver 5-cent pieces, which went out of general circulation in a very short time owing to their great demand for souvenirs and ornaments. Quite a speculation was carried on in these minute but handsome coins, and some people are known to have made several |