1370
VENEZUELA
supports also the following Institutes for special instruction : a School of Plastic Arts, another of Music and Elocution, two of Arts and Trades (one for men and the other for women), and three of Commerce. Total expendi- ture on education 1920-21, 4,328,181 bolivars (2,465,452 bolivars for ele- mentary education).
Justice.
Federal judicial authority resides in the Court (which is also Court of Cassation) and in various tribunals and courts established by special laws. The Federal Procurator-General is appointed for 3 years.
The States have each a Supreme Court with 3 members called respec- tively President, Relator, and Chancellor. Each State has also a superior court,courts of first instance, district courts, and municipal courts. The States' judicial officers hold their posts for 3 years. In the Territories there are civil and criminal judges of first instance, and also judges in the municipios.
Finance.
The revenue and expenditure for five years were as follows : —
-
1916-17
£ 2,885,060 2,321,744
1917-18
1918-19
1919-20 1
1920-21 1
Revenue . Expenditure
£ 2,338,560 2,372,254
£
8,759,700 3,085.093
£ 1,948,684 1,948,634
£ 8,960,871
2,318,860
1 Estimates.
The following table shows (in bolivars) the principal items of the budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1921 : —
Items
Customs
30 per cent, contribution
Tax of 25 per cent, oi
import duties . Transit tax Liquor tax Tobacco Salt revenue stamps Other revenue .
TrUI
Revenue
Bolivars 14,000,000 4,410,000
3,675,000
400.000
T,$O0,00Q
8,600,000 6,700,000 6,500,000 7,827,000
50,61'.!, Duo 0,8711)
Items
Department of Interior
Department of Foreign Affairs ....
Department of Prnfctice
Department of War and Navy ....
Department of Internal De- velopment
Department of Public Works ....
Department of t'ublio. In- struction ....
Bridget rectifications .
Total.
Expenditure
Bolivars 12,166,520
1,927,203 1 6, 889, 80 i
11,101,520
5,800,509
6,24G.40
4,328,182 518,429
58,538,600
(2.318,360.'.)
The public debt on Dec 81, 1919, was 138,306,338 bolivars (5,534,652/.). Of the total the interim I consolidated debt at 3 per cent, amounted to 49,070,832 bolivars. The « 1 e 1 > t. due under international conventions (known as diplomatic debt), amounted to 2,863,980/.
Defence.
In 1920 a law was promulgated according to which all Venezuelans have to
serve two years with the active forces of the army, and to remain in the
e until the age of 45. The active army consists of infantry, 20
battalions, eacl of '100 men ; artillery, 8 batteries, each of 200 men, and 1
naval battalion, The naval force contains one battalion distributed among
