National telegraph 389,936 Palace of Justice 80,000 Hospital for lepers 65,000 Penitentiary 60,000 Police Stations 50,000 Mint 42,000 The private property owners are numerous and the orderly habits of the Costa Ricans are marked. Costa Rica being an essentially agricultural country, the necessity of a mortgage law was apparent to maintain and secure the equities of all. Hence an official registry of titles and mortgages was opened in 1867. The landed property of the people of Costa Rica is registered in the “Registro Publico” in the following way: _First Inscription._ Pesos. 1870, 5,243 fincas valued at 3,378,035 1875, 26,947 ” ” 19,090,557 1880, 43,281 ” ” 32,285,339 1885, 54,540 ” ” 39,228,567 1890, 65,858 ” ” 45,152,936 1895, 79,651 ” ” 59,244,326 1896, 82,614 ” ” 62,960,222 1897, 85,755 ” ” 67,711,398 _Second Inscription._ Pesos. 1870, 549 fincas valued at 502,503 1875, 9,580 ” ” 9,731,805 1880, 24,941 ” ” 25,339,594 1885, 41,286 ” ” 37,251,567 1890, 63,331 ” ” 52,702,051 1895, 89,276 ” ” 84,105,189 1896, 94,116 ” ” 90,654,569 1897, 99,309 ” ” 99,147,659 The following list gives the _number of fincas_ (properties) and the amount in pesos for which they were _mortgaged_.