A VISITOR FROM THE ARGENTINE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 29, 29 October 1907, Page 8

A VISITOR FROM THE ARGENTINE.

FEARS OF A REVOLUTION. IMITATING. FRANCE. Tlio Rev. Robort F. Elder, a visitor from the Argentino, arrived in Wellington on Saturday, and in conversation with a i - prosentative of Tns Dominion gave some interesting information about the presont state of affairs in that country. Mr. Elder has been working in Buenos Ayres and in the provincial town of Tres Arroyos, under the- Regions Beyond Missionary Union, of which Dr. H. Grattan Guinness and tho Rev. F. B. Meyer aro principal Directors. "Wo have in the Argentine- ■" Republic," said Mr. Elder, "six centres in which we work, and during our seven and a .half years' influence we have been able to build four churches freo- of debt, and three manses. One object, which I havo now in travelling is to raise money towards the erection of premises for our central .mission in Buenos Ayres, for which we need about £3000."

Commercial Prosperity. -,-, The Argentine, Mr. Elder slates, now grows as much wheat as Australia and Canada together, and shipped in 1905 just on four million carcasses'of frozen mutton, and 100,966. tons of frozen beef. At the present time it is enjoyhg great commercial propserity; 250,006 immigrants were received last year; its' population has increased by half a million in ten .year's,' and the inhabitants of tho capital, • Buenos Ayres, have been doubled in about, fourteen years, and now number 1,019,000 souls. In the main street of the capital, Avenida do /AlayoJ no building is allowed to l)o erected less than ninety feet in height, by municipal decree Owing to the fact that, many men have made huge fortunes through the rise in the price of land there is much show of wealth, while on tho qthor hand chore is a good deal of poverty in some parts of.the city, and bad slums. A' Revolution Feared. "This is causing a good deal of trouble," said Mr. Elder, ''between Capitalism and Labour. . In a letter I had-from a fellow missionary only 'the other day ho says this is occoming so serious that ho chinks it will bo a miraclo if they get through this year without a revolution. This is owing to the fact that thc/lahonr unions consider that the Government is favouring capital too much." ■ An interesting point in connection with the agricultural progress of the country is that a well-known yictoriau harvester, or stripper, is largoly replacing tho reaper and binder. Last year in the district in.which Mr. Elder was no less than two hundred of these machines wore sold. Throwing ofl Religion. Roman Catholicism is the State religion in tho Argentine, but Mr. Elder states that there is a decided drift away from that church.' Franco is being taken as the country's model. ' "The papers are full of articles on. the separation of Church and State, and in the minds of a majority of men that is already an accomplished fact, which only awaits 'legislation for tho actual breach. In throwing oif Roman Catholicism most of them are throwing off all religion, and many of thorn in doing that aro throwiiig off all moral restraint. That is the great trouble that confronts the, Republic. If it becomes numerically strong and morally weak, it will bo a menace to other nations instead of a benefit. That is why wo feel that.missionary work should bo greatly added to in tho country." Mr. Elder preached in the Baptist Church, Vivian Street, on Sunday evening. He will romain in Wellington during the"present week, giving several lectures on the Argentine in the city and suburbs.