Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/669

 statistics!

ARGENTINE

interest, the bonds remaining in the custody of the Caisse de Conversion, which was authorized to attend to the annual service. But President Celman sold the gold specie, and the provincial bank notes immediately lost their value. The National Government has to some extent made good the loss caused by the action of Celman. Minerals.—The principal mineral deposits of the republic are found in the provinces of San Juan, La Rioja, Mendoza, Jujuy, Salta, San Luis, and Catamarca, and in the territories of Santa Cruz, Chubut, Pampa, Neuquen, Tierra del Fuego, and Rio Negro, the richest being that of Jujuy. Gold and silver are. found in many places, but the only rich deposits now being worked are in the Famatina region in La Rioja. Lead is found in some veins in La Rioja, Cordova, Mendoza, and San Luis. Copper has been discovered in the provinces of San Juan, La Rioja, Cordova, Catamarca, Mendoza, Salta, and Jujuy. Most of the ore contains considerable quantities of gold and silver. Iron, of poor quality, has been found in Mendoza, Cordova, La Rioja, and San Juan, but there are no smelting works in the country. Coal has been discovered in the department of San Rafael in Mendoza, in Neuquen, the Arroyo Malo, and San Juan in the district Morado. Some small petroleum springs have also been discovered in the department of Anta in the province of Salta, and near the town of Oran. Agriculture and Stock-raising.—In 1878 the production of wheat was insufficient for home consumption, the amount of maize grown barely covered local necessities, and the only market for live stock was in the saladero establishments where the meat was turned into jerked beef for the Brazilian and Cuban markets. But three years later the actual economic development began. In 1881 President Roca offered for public purchase by auction the lands in the southwest of the province of Buenos Ayres, the Pampa Central, and the Neuquen district, these lands having been rendered habitable after the campaign of 1878 against the Indians. The upset-price was £80 sterling per square league of 6669 acres, and, as the lands were quickly sold, an expansion of the pastoral industry immediately ensued. The demand for animals for stock-breeding purposes sent up prices, and this acted as a stimulus to other branches of trade, so that, as peace under the Roca regime seemed assured, a steady flow of immigration from Italy set in. The development of the pastoral industry of Argentina since those days has been remarkable. In 1878 the number of cattle was 12,000,000 ; of sheep, 65,000,000 ; and of horses, 4,000,000 : in 1899 the numbers were— cattle, 25,000,000 ; sheep, 89,000,000 ; and horses, about 4,500,000. Originally the cattle were nearly all of the long-horned Spanish breed and of little value for their meat, except to the saladero establishments. Gradually Durham and Hereford stock were introduced to improve the native breeds, with results so satisfactory that now herds of three-quarters bred cattle are to be found in all parts of the country. Not only has the breed of cattle been improved, but the system of grazing has completely altered. Yast areas of land (probably 8,000,000 acres) have been ploughed and sown with lucerne, and magnificent permanent pasturage has been created where there were coarse and hard grasses in former days. In 1889 the first shipment of Argentine cattle, consisting altogether of 1930 steers, was sent to England. The results of these first experiments were not encouraging, owing mainly to the poor class of animals, but the exporters persevered, and the business steadily grew in value and importance until in 1898 the number of live cattle shipped was 130,351. In 1899 the number fell to 103,566, of which 83,364 were shipped to England, 3290 to France, and 11,688 to Brazil. Large quantities of frozen meat were exported in 1899, profitable prices being realized. Dairy farming is making rapid strides, and the development of sheep-farming has been remarkable. In 1878, 65,000,000 sheep yielded 230,000,000 pounds’ weight of wool, or an average per sheep of about 3-| pounds. In the season 1899-1900 the wool exports weighed 420,000,000 pounds, and averaged more than 5 pounds per sheep. The extra weight of fleece was owing to the very great improvement due to the large importation of rams from Europe and Australia. The export, moreover, of live sheep and of frozen mutton to Europe has become an important factor in the trade of Argentina. In 1892 the number of live sheep shipped for foreign ports was 40,000 ; in 1898 the export reached a total of 619,378 ; and in 1899, 462,013. In 1892 the frozen mutton exported was 25,500 tons, and this had increased in 1898 to 29,776 tons. The advance made in agricultural industry is also of very great importance. In 1872 the cultivated area was about 1,430,000 acres ; in 1888, 6,074,000 acres ; in 1895, 12,083,000 acres ; in 1899, 16,055,000 acres. In 1899 the wheat exports exceeded 50,000,000 bushels, and the maize 40,000,000 bushels. The area under wheat in 1899 was 5,500,000 acres; maize, 6,000,000 r acres; linseed, 200,000 acres. The farming industry is not, how ever, on a satisfactory basis. No national lands in accessible districts are available for the application of a homestead law, and the farmer too often has no interest in the land beyond the growing crops, a percentage of the harvest being the rent charged by the owner of the property. This system is mischievous, since, if a few consecu-

REPUBLIC

615 tive bad seasons occur, the farmer moves to some more favoured spot. The principal wheat and maize-producing districts lie in the provinces of Santa Fe, Buenos Ayres, Cordova, and Entre Rios, and the average yield of wheat throughout the country in 1899 was, in round numbers, 12 bushels to the acre. Little attention is paid to methods of cultivation, and the farmer has no resources to help him if the cereal crops fail. In the Andean provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, Catamarca, and La Rioja viticulture is widely practised, and the area of the vineyards now exceeds 150,000 acres. Wine is manufactured in large quantities, but the output is not yet sufficient to meet the home demand. In the province of Tucuman the main industry is sugar-growing and manufacture. In 1899 the production of sugar, was 110,000 tons, the total consumption of Argentina being estimated at 80,000 tons annually. The sugar manufacture, however, is a protected and bounty-fed industry. Other products are tobacco, olives, castor-oil, and fruit and vegetables for export to Brazilian markets. The pastoral and agricultural industries have been hampered by fluctuations in the value of the currency, farm products being sold at a gold value for the equivalent in paper, while labourers are paid in currency. The existing system of taxation also presses heavily upon the provinces, as may be seen from the fact that the national, provincial, and municipal exactions together amount to £7 per head of population, while the total value of the exports in 1898 was only £6 in round numbers. Manufactures.—Manufacturing enterprise in Argentina, in spite of the protection afforded by a high tariff, does not make any substantial progress. The reason put forward is the lack of coal or other available cheap fuel. At Cordova a central power station for the distribution of electricity obtained from water-power was erected in 1897 ; but so far very little use of this convenience has been made by factories. In Buenos Ayres several companies have established stations for distributing electric power generated by steam ; but the cost is high, and the power has hitherto only been applied for lighting and for the electric tramways. Commerce.—The rapid development of the foreign trade of the republic since 1881 is shown in the following table, the values of imports and exports being given in pounds sterling for the years named. In the period 1886-90 the trade was abnormally inflated, the average annual imports durjng the five years being of the value of £25,919,000, and of the exports £17,813,000. Year.

Imports.

Exports.

1881 1886 1891 1896 1898 1899 1900

£ 11,100,000 19,100,000 13,442,000 22,433,000 21,486,000 23,360,000 22,697,000

£ 11,580,000 14,000,000 20,644,000 23,360,000 26,766,000 36,980,000 30,920,000

The principal imports are textiles and raw materials, valued in 1900 at £7,519,570; iron and iron goods, £3,810,810; food stuffs, £2,090,670 ; glass and earthenware, £1,778,700. The values of the principal groups of exports were ■—pastoral products, £14,250,800 ; agricultural products, £15,485,200 ; forest products, £441,700; various, £701,800. Of the pastoral products the more important exports were—ox-hides, 3,359,460 in number; horsehides, 120,100 in number ; sheep-skins, 28,200 tons; wool, 112,105 tons ; tallow, 353,880 cwts. ; foreign wethers, 2,372,970 in number. The agricultural produce exported comprised 2,042,164 tons of wheat and 740,685 tons of maize. Of the impc .ts in 1900, 34 per cent, in value came from the United Kingdom, 14 per cent, from Germany, 13 per cent, from Italy, 12 per cent, from the United States, and 9 per cent, from France. Of the exports 15 per cent, in value were shipped to the United Kingdom, 13 per cent, to Germany, 12 per cent, to France, and 11 per cent, to Belgium. More than half the foreign trade of the republic goes through the port of Buenos Ayres. The commercial community has been passing through a most difficult period. Between 1880 and 1890 immense sums of European capital were invested in railways and other undertakings. The Mortgage Bank of the province of Buenos Ayres lent money recklessly in the form of cedulas nominally secured on landed property, credit was given far and wide, and the import trade rapidly developed. In 1890 a financial crisis came, credit contracted, the value of property depreciated, and imports decreased. The constant fluctuations in the value of the currency were also an adverse factor. But recent commercial statistics indicate that the volume of trade is once more increasing. Credit is now sounder than for several years, and shows signs of further improvement. Many of the larger retailers now import their wares direct from Europe, and thus save the intermediate commission charges. Present difficulties arise mainly from the appreciation of the currency and recent additions to taxation. In consequence of these two factors