Evening star., 1898-12-24

which We shall call "Munyoz" when my
friend said: why, mayor, Munyoz is dead.
Don t you remember we were together last
month when the report of his death came
in p
But if he is dead that is all the better.
He can now make no fuss as to how his
vote is cast
An Overgoverned Country.
This corruption in politics extends
throughout the republic. Every province
has its political factions the most of which
are connected with the ring in Buenos
Ayres and take their cue from it. The gov
ernment is entirely in the hands Of the ma
tive Argentines who are natural politicians
and who work the business for what it is
worth The country is overgoverned. 1t
has all told only 4.OOOOOv people of whom
one-hfth live at the capital. Still every
state mas its own senate and house. and its
own minor offcers. The result is that in
country which has population about that
OF the state of Ohio there are, in addition to
a horde of federal officers, fifteen senates,
hfteen chambers of deputies and fifteen
sets of revenue collectors. There are small
ofnc1als without number. all of whom re-
celFe a salary, and most of whom aud to
TINS In some way or other, not sanctioned
by law All of the provinces are in debt
and only few of them pay their interest
The internal debt of the country now
amounts to more than $4,000 OOO and in
1919 the provincial debts Including unpaid
interest, amounted to more than S137 900 900
IN gold AT present the city debts foot ,1p
more than S24 900 600 gold while the coun-
Try mas national debt of more than $780,
No,oon A large number of the provinces
nave to be annually assisted by the general
government to pay the salaries of their own
ofnclaiS. Roca believes in Capitalization of
power. He spells the word nation with a
capital n, and he will make the union of
me tne provinces even stronger than it has
Deen In the past petty revolutions have
occurred in the different provinces. In
many or these the national government was
not Implicated, but it had at times to send
i5s troops out to quell the troubles. Pres-
dent Roca will not tolerate much foolish
ness of this kind, and in such cases will
sehd military governors to take the places
OF tne regular officials until new elections
can be held.
Congress and the Banks
The Argentine Republic has a federal
congress, which meets at Buenos Ayres
mere are two houses, one composed of
senators, the other of deputies Senators
must be thirty years of age, must have re-
sided six years in their districts and have
annual incomes of $4,000 each. A deputy
may be twenty-five years of age and must
nave been citizen for four years The
deputies are elected for four years and
the senators for nine years. The president
10 electeu lor SIX years. Members of con-
SresS each receive twelve thousand Argen-
tne dollars year, and the president has a
salary of thirty-six thousand dollars The
vice president receives just half as much
as the president, and each of the cabinet
ministers gets sixteen thousand eight hun
dred dollars year.
You sometimes see statements in the
papers of the United States that there is a
close teiephonic connection between our
national capital and Wall street. The Ar
gentine congressman is not troubled by
having to telephone. The houses of con-
Sress in BuenoS Ayres are Just across the
square from the stock exchange, and the
presidents house stands between. Some of
the greatest scandals of the Argentine Re
public have been in connection with the
misuse of the public funds by government
ofhcials and this especially in connection
with the national banks and stocks. No
where upon earth has there been such cor
ruption as there was in connection with
the National Bank of the Argentine which
failed for millions. This bank was largely
political. and word from a prominent off
clal would cause it to pay out money to
almost any one. Congressman made no
bones of levying upon it for their sup
port. l heard of one deputy who borrowed
million dollars from the bank and with
this built palace at Belgrano. one of the
suburbs of Buenos Ayres In getting this
loan he agreed to repay it in installments,
so much every three months. The time the
first payment came due the bank directors
sent for him. When he appeared they pre-
sented the note. He looked at it and coolly
said that he had no money. They then
asked him to pay the interest, but he nom
chalantly replied: Il have nothing" He
was then asked If he could not pay some
of the interest, whereupon he burst out in a
rage, saying:
Il have no money, I tell you I don't ex-
pect to have any, and 1 want to know right
here and now, whether you expect me to
fight the battles of your bank in congress
and then pay back the money l get from
it just as other people do?' At last ac-
counts that million dollars and accumu-
lated interest was still outstanding and it
will probably outstand until the end Of
time.
Asked for $4,000, Got 100000.
Another instance showing the looseness
of the business methods of the bank at
this time was In the case of an irresponsi-
BILE army officer Of Cordoba. who wanted to
borrow 5000 to build house. He knew
Celman, who was then president Of the
Argentine, and at his request the president
gave him note to the bank officials, but
through a misunderstanding as to the
amount wanted asked the bank to lend