Argentine Republic.

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 12, 1 November 1904, Page 3

Argentine Republic.

Australasia’s Chief Competitor. (Continued from last issue.) A word or two about the money of the country, railways, etc., may not be out of place. The money of the Argentine is on the, paper basis; the minimum value of a dollar was fixed about the year 1900 at 44 cents gold, or 127 per cent, premium. The value of one gold dollar expressed in paper money varies between 2.27 and 2.35 dollars. I may also point out that the gold dollar of the United States is at about 4 per cent, premium over that of the Argentine Republic dollar.

The great plains of the Argentine are well equipped with railways, and extensive developments yet continue on a large scale. It is said that back as far as 1867 there were only about 360 miles of railway in the country, while in 1900 there were 10,601 miles of these railways; the Government owns about 1,500 miles, and nearly 9,500 miles arc owned by foreign companies. In length of line the Argentine stands about eighth on the list of countries. The paid-up capital is about 560,000.000 dollars gold. The total receipts, according to the Argentine Yearbook for 1900, are over 400,000,000 dollars gold. There are three guages in railways in the republic. One is a very wide line, being a oft. gauge; it is really the standard throughout the country, although they have short lines with a 4ft. Bjin. gauge, and also a narrower gauge, similar to that in vogue in some of the out-of-the-way districts in the colonies, 3ft. 3in. (or 1 metre). I suppose one of tho most interesting railway lines in the republic which is now nearly completed is the Transandine, which touches the banks of the Mandosa River ; this railway climbs to the summit of the pass of the Andes, which are over 13,000 ft. above sea-level. Speaking generally of the railways, they are constructed, although it is a very difficult matter to get good ballast in such great plains as the Argentine, which are lacking so much in the necessary material, stone and gravel-pits. The cars are very much like those employed in North America. There are comfortable sleepers and fine diningcars on all through trains. The total length of telegraph-lines in the Argentine is close on thirty thousand miles. About 12,500 miles of this belongs to the Government.

With regard to the general industries of the country, the main products are agricultural, while others are developing fairly rapidly. Sugar may be classed as an agricultural product; they have fortyone sugar-mills in the Argentine. In 1870 the Argentine imported 22,000 tons of sugar, while in 1899 the tables were turned, when she exported nearly 60,000 tons of sugar. It was estimated that there is about 55,000,000 dollars gold invested in the sugar industries in the Argentine.

They have sixty-two breweries in the republic, which brew about 450,000 gallons annually. Alcohol is also manufattured in large quantities. They have in tbe country between 180 and 185 distilleries ; the annual product turned out is something over 3,000,000 gallons. The wine industry is also an important one. The soil is very suitable for grapes, and vineyards cover vast areas of land. Along tho great slopes of mountains such Sail Juan and Neau Dosa, which lie west of Buenos Aires City, are to be seen perhaps the best districts for wine-growing. In 1901 the Argentine had over 90,000 acres in vines, which wore valued at 10,500,000 dollars gold. In 1903 she had 51,625 hectares under vines. In 1901 the stock of wine in the wine-warehouses or bodegas (bond) was about 871,000 gallons. In 1902 the importation of foreign wines was greatly diminished, and the increase over the 1901 production was enormous ; 1903 figures could not be obtained, but the crop was a large one.

Although a good deal of machinery is imported into the country, the iron and steel industries are going ahead very fast; and although there is practically no coal and not much ore in the country, it opens one’s eyes to 6ee how important this industry is becoming. They have in the Argentine over two hundred iron-foun-dries, and 151 repair-shops. They manufacture nearly every class of machinery, including engines, boilers, etc. A large number of the railway-carriages and tram-cars are manufactured in the country; the only parts imported are the wheels. Steel safes are also made locally .and are rapidly taking the place of the imported article. Bo far as the iron industry is concerned, the imports into the country since 4899 have decreased nearly 50 per cent. The capital invested in these industries is between 16,000,000 and 20,000,000 dollars gold.

The excise tax on tobacco and its products amounted to over 10,000,000 dollars gold in 1001. In 1902 no less than 167,000 tons of tobacco were exported. It is called “ quebracho ” in Spanish.

About 4,500,000 dollars are invested in textile manufactures, which, including hat factories and woollen-factories, give labour to upwards of 8,500 persons. They import 8,500,000 dollars’ worth of linen which might be manufactured in the country. As to mining in the Argentine, it is claimed they have valuable copper-mines, many of which contain silver and gold. They have also lately discovered rich veins of gold and also iron-ore. I may add, however, that these products have not been developed to any extent. There is also borax, lead, and marble in the country. It is believed that the rivers of the Argentine are rich in gold and that dredging will shortly become a paying industry, but if they meet with the same experience as most dredging undertakings in our colony I should not care to invest very heavily in the new shares. They have formed a gold-dredg-ing company at Buenos Aires, with the object of exploring and working the auriferous sands of the various rivers. One thing which is certain is that they w'ill not meet with such obstructions as timber and rocks or boulders in the beds of the Argentine rivers, which are nearly all composed of sandy bottoms. fTo be Continued. J