The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-05
TIE AKGENlINE MkfuBLIc.

The Argentine Confederation presents so
many points Of similarity with the United
States that its recent development cannot
fail to interest American observers. 1t
covers an enormous area of alluvial prairie,
only about one Ter cent of which is under
cultivation. For such a country immigra-
ton is, OF course, the main requisite, and ac-
cordingly, for ten years or more, the Argen-
tine Government has been paying the
passage of European immigrants, and IA
clitating their requsition Of land. 1t has
succeeded in stimulating movement OF
population from Italy, Spain and France
which now amounts to about 100000 head
per annum. a few immigrants have reached
BuenOS Ayres from this country and from
the British isles, but they have been hand-
capped by their ignorance of the language
spoken in their new home, and by their I'M
familiarity with its laws and custo ms, and
their example is not likely to be followed.
Indeed. the immigration from Southern
Europe is now as large as the country can
digest.
The land policy of the Government is
much like the policy which the Government
of the United States pursued before the
passage of the homestead and presumption
laws, 1t aims at securing large sums of
money by the sale of vast tracts Of land in
unbr0ken blocks, rather than filling ND its
open places with small settlers. The Gov
eminent owns. as part of the public domain,
something like q million square miles OF
landau of which is adapted to pasture
and wheat growing-in the newly organ
lied territories stretching down into Terra
del Fuegc. In order to dispose of this enOr-
nous domain, the President has just offered
24.0C0 square leagues of land to cash puI-
chaserS at a price not varying far from
81 % an acre; but the smallest area for
which a bid will be accepted is sixteen
square leagues-say foIty-eight sections.
OF course this policy would inaugurate
landlOrdism, and one would suppose that
its well-known evils would lead to its early
abandonment. A case is already reported
where a settler, who wanted homestead
on tract owned by a syndicate, was asked
S25 an acre for land which cost the holders
less than 50 an acre.
Argentine has two resources, grain-grow-
ing and pasturage. The first mentioned in
dustry is still in its infancy. The total area
planted to wheat and corn, up to date, is
only about 4, 10000 acres, and the largest
| exports of wheat ever made from BuenOs
Ayres in single year fell short of $4,000
| 600 in value. The crop of 1888 was failure,
| and Argentine actually imported wheat.
but it is probably good for a future average
| annual supply of 100000 or 100000
| bushels of wheat to the Liverpool market
not enough to become factor in determin-
ing the price of the staple The exports OF
hides, frozen meat and wool is large and is
likely to increase. According to the recent
message Of the President of the Republic to
his Congress there are nearly %, 600, 600 head
of cattle and 10000, 600 head of sheep in Ar
gentine. So vast an area as ZOO, 600 square
miles cannot be converted from pasture
land into agricultural land In less than a
century or so, and it may be assumed that
the fiocks and herds will increase for many
years to come. Europe will take at price
all the frozen meat that Argentine can ship,
and there will be no difficulty in disposing
of the WOOL though that industry is very
backward. 1t appears that there are no
securing mills in Argentine; the wool is
shipped in the grease and in the dirt, and
partly from that reason the average clip
from each sheep is only figured at one and
four pounds in this country. These are
things which correct themselves in time.
at the present moment the Confederation
is passing through one of the financial
crises which mark the history of all enter
prising nations. The people of Buenos
Ayres have been discounting the future too
rapidly. They have run against snag,
and have been brought up all standing.
The community will right itself in little
while.