The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-10-01

are, says the President, increasing the
stock of knowledge. and enriching their
libraries, museums and laboratories" Then
the country had "a normal schools, with 75S
teachers and II 1875 pupils In 1888. This year
the number Of teachers has been increased
to 9S7 and the pupils have increased 33 per
cent. and the increase on the latter would
have been larger still had the buildings been
sufficient to accommodate all the applicants.
The purpose Of these schools is practically
the same as that of our normal schools,
namely, to train men and women to the work
of teaching In the primary schools. Primary
instruction In the Republic is under the
charge of National Board of Education.
whose devotion to the great cause Of educa-
tion is exemplary" says the President In
1888 there were 10 the capital 1873 public
schools, II more than in 1887. In the same
year there was an increase of 179 teachers
and 20S3 pupils. The total value of the
school buildings and sites in the capital Is
about $ll,QOO,OO0. In the Provinces there are
2.263 primary schools. Besides these state
schools there were in the Republic in 1883
T4l private schools devoted to the same OBJ
lect. Thus in 1888 the Republic had 1927
primary schools. with 1882 teachers and
2o4,6OS pupils, which compared with 1887
shows an increase of 100 schools, 1901 teach
ers and 81 ,l5S pupils. In the light of these
figures 1t may be said without exaggeraton
that education in the Argentine Republic is
advancing with leaps and bounds"
Let us glance at the financial condition of
the country. The treasury of the Argentine
Republic, like our own, has surplus. That
Is to say. the revenues of the country exceed
the expenditures, and this excess shows an
inclination to increase rather than diminish
In 1887 the revenue was So, 12O, 149; in 1883,
though several important sources were cut
off, it was $57,65l.7l and in the first quar-
ter of 1889 1t was SIG. 709,974. indicating
total for the year of over 100000 900. In
1888 there was a surplus of nearly S7OCO,-
900, while this year there bids fair to be
several times that amount. The credit of
the country is constantly increasing. While
in 1868 six per cent loan with
cumulative sinking fund Of % per cent.
commanded only y per cent of its
face value. President Celman is able to re-
port this year that ''the wealth of the couu-
thy has Increased SO much, and so punctaal
is the service of the country on its debt that
the very holders who gave such low quota
lions to that loan now quote our per cents.
above par and accept our Al per cents. for
almost their written value" Study of the
imports and exports of the Republic show a
constant increase in the products of the Re-
public and diminishing reliance on foreign
countries for the means of subsistence. On
the other hand the importation of iron wares.
such as ploughs, harvesters and agricultural
machinery generally, is rapidly increasing,
showing that agriculture and the industrial
arts are spreading. The showing of the ex-
ports is equally gratifying The excess of ex-
ports In 1888 over 1887 was $4,000, 900, and in
the one item Of minerals alone the excess was
$l,5l9, 407. This year the exports of minerals
will reach $4.0Oo,0OO.
The Republic has about 5000 miles of rail
road in operation, an amount entirely made
quate, the President says, to the country's
needs. Some 5000 miles in addition are now
in course of construction A great deal is
being done by the government to improve the
ports OF the capital, of Rosario, and Ria
chuelo. involving very large expenditure of
money. Dykes are being built at Atalaya at
cost of $4,000. Judging from their cost
the public buildings at the capital are mag
nificent structures. The Central Police
court cost $S35,734; the first section of the
government palace is finished at an expense
OF $59OO67; and the plans of new post Of
flee which win cost $1,SO0,OOO are completed
and tenders called for. And tenders have
been acrantpd FIR tho hrild;ro ~ - ..,..:..
pal theatre that will cost SS,5O0,OOO.
When all the telegraph lines contracted
for are completed the Republic will have
perfect telegraph net connecting all the prin-
cipal points of the territory. European con-
nection is soon to be had by means of a cable
from Buenos Ayres to Lisbon, the lay ing of
which has already been contracted for.
These are only few of the interesting
and significant facts contained in President
Celman's's address, but they are sufficient to
show that the country is great one in its
possibilities of development, and that its in
habitants are progressive people. That it
will be wise for the United States to seek
more Intimate commercial relations with
this country goes without saying, and that
the Argentine nation will not be slow to
welcome our advances is evident from this
paragraph from President Celman's mes
sage:
The Argentine Republic has been invited by
the United States to- attend the International
American Congress. which is to meet next Octo-
Der In Washington. The object of this confer
enee is to deal with questions of commerce, navl-
CATION, monetary system, and other important
subjects, and the Executive has consequently in
timated It's Willingness to assist and has appoint
and DR.: Vicente q. Quesada as its plenip0tentia-
ries. The Argentine Republic is keeniy alive to
the ACCESSIBILITY of cultivating closer relations
with the United Safes with view to bring about
a free interchange of products between the two
countries. This is the only means of any efficacy
TO cultivate more friendly ties with the great re-
public on whose institutions ours are modelled.