ate of wages to labourers in the banana districts is
nearly 3s. daily, as compared with an average of 1s. 8d. in the coffee
plantations. The bulk of the imports comes from the United States (52%
in 1904), Great Britain (19%) and Germany (13%). Almost the whole
foreign trade passes through Limon and Puntarenas. In 1904, exclusive of
banana steamers, there were regular steamship services weekly from Limon
to the United States and Germany, fortnightly to Great Britain, and
monthly to France, Italy and Spain; while at Puntarenas four American
liners called monthly on the voyage between San Francisco and Panama.

_Finance._--The valuable resources of the republic, and its comparative
immunity from revolution, formerly attracted the attention of European
and American investors, who supplied the capital for internal
development. In 1871 the government contracted a loan of L1,000,000 in
London, and in 1872 it borrowed an additional L2,400,000 for railway
construction. The outstanding foreign debt amounted in 1887 to
L2,691,300, while the arrears of interest were no less than L2,119,500.
An arrangement with the creditors was concluded in 1888; but in 1895 the
republic again became bankrupt, and a fresh arrangement was sanctioned
in March 1897, by which the interest on L1,475,000 was reduced to 2-1/2%
and that on L525,000 to 3%. It was provided that amortization, at
L10,000 yearly, should begin in 1917. In 1904 the service of the
external debt, which then amounted to L2,500,000, including L500,000
arrears of interest, was again suspended; the total of the internal debt
was L815,000. About one-half of the national revenue is derived from
customs, the remainder being principally furnished by railways, stamps,
and the salt and tobacco monopolies. In the financial year 1904-1905 the
revenue was L503,000, the expenditure L390,000. Education, internal
development and the service of the internal debt were the chief sources
of expenditure.

_Money and Credit._--There are three important banks, the Anglo-Costa
Rican Bank, with a capital of L120,000, the Bank of Costa Rica
(L200,000), and the Commercial Bank of Costa Rica (L100,000), founded in
1905. On the 25th of April 1900 a law was enacted for the regulation of
the constitution, capital, note emission and metallic reserves of banks.
On the 24th of October 1896 an act was passed for the adoption of a gold
coinage, and the execution of this act was decreed on the 17th of April
1900. The