The times., 1899-06-19
TARDY REFORM IN TEE
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC
Political and Economic Con-
dition Of the Country.
Muddled Commercial Affairs Due to
a Business Boom.
The Difficulties to He Net and Over
come-Slow Progress i'm the
Proper Direction.

Buenos Ayres. May .15.-Politcs forms
the keystone of most Latin countries. and
the Argentine Republic is no exception to
| the rule. Given freedom from political
agitation and the inevitable accompani-
ment of armed insurrectionary outbreaks,
the natural resources OF these Spanish
American States rapidly develop and give
/ to the world the latent wealth comprised
within their boundaries. For the moment
| in Argentina peace. so far as any prospect
OF revolt against the Federal Government
| is concerned, would seem to be assured;
a little energy on the part of the popu-
lation is all that is needed to bring pros
perity in substantial measure, in spite of
the many drawbacks undoubtedly existing
and due to the crude and impractical meth
DDS usually employed in the administra-
tion of public affairs.
! President Roea, whose term of Office
does not expire until the autumn Of 1904,
is man fairly well versed in the man
agement of official business, having been
| in office in a similar capacity from 1880
to 1885, and having been, further, the real
power behind the throne from 1890 to 1898.
at which latter date the spontaneous
wishes of the great majority of the in
habitants recalled him to the post of Chief
Magistrate. Nor has the country much
reason to complain of the choice made at
a time when the war cloud of a conflict
between Chile and Argentina daily threat
ened to burst and plunge both nations
into a struggle that could only bring
forth most disastrous consequences for
victor and vanquished In the six months
since General Roca assumed office he has
succeeded in obtaining a settlement of the
long standing frontier dispute with Chile.
and so paved the way for economy In the
matter of expenditure on war material,
an item in the national disbursements that
for several years past has been the cause
of heavy additional taxation and the ac
emulation of ruinous burden of debt
at home and abroad
Disseminated individuals complain that
Roca has done nothing toward reforming g
many of the abuses with which the inter-
nal economy of Argentina Is loaded. and
hence profess to have lost confidence in
him as an administrator. These complaints
are, however, hardly Just in fact. The ma
terial with which Roca has TO work is for
the most part of very poor clay, the Min
listers forming the Cabinet having small
. |
, of practical methods for discharging the
duties assigned TO them. Now that the
danger OF war with Chile is averted the
, President will have leisure to devote his
attention to the best means of reducing
. taxation, improving the police department,
, enquiring into the question OF the admin
; istration of justice. and, finally. initiate
; policy having in view the attraction OF
, immigration from Europe to people the
of in
way for settlement and needing only the
touch of the hand OF man to become pro-
/ ductiye.
The Federal Government has many diff
, fcultes TO contend with in any attempt
to bring about reforms. however badly
these may be needed. The fourteen States
constituting the Argentine Republic enjoy
absolute autonomy in their local affairs
under the terms of the national consti-
1 tuition These States are extremely jeal-
Gus of their rights and resent any inter-
ference of the national authorities in mat
ters pertaining to local administration
especially in the direction of the police
; and judiciary. The intervention of the
; Federal Government is only constitutional
, ly legal when events take place likely
| to engender serious disturbance of pub
!. lie order or when acts are committed by
! the local executive power tending to di-
rectly injure the well being of the inhab-
; itants of any particular State.
i Any such intervention invariably leads
to interminable academic discussion in tht
Federal Chambers and, consequently, tt
u the complete block of all public busines:
{ for the time being; in the circumstances
Il therefore, 1t is only natural that the Ma
: tional Government should always be charl
l of exercising the power of interference
5 unless action of the kind becomes abso
8 lutely imperative. The case of the pro-
vince of Buenos Ayres is an example il
point at the present moment of condition
:. of affairs forcing the intervention of th'
|. national authorities. The Governor, DR.
Irigoyen. was convinced that the elections
on March &c. for Deputies to the loca
u LEGISLATURE were obtained by fraudulen
u practices and refused to recognize the can
e dates returned at the head of the polls
II The local Chambers decided that the Gov
n ernor of the province had no say in thu
II matter and, after due scrutiny of the re
: turns. declared the various candidates le
gally entitled to take their seats. DR.. lri
goyen then placed the Legislature building
i'm the hands of the police with orders Il
allow nobody to enter and thus all sit
tings of the local Chambers were forcibl.
- suspended. AS no solution of the disput
: appeared probable the Federal Government
Il decided to intervene and is temporaril.
!. in possession of the provincial capital 70
; of the quarrel "and to restore a republican
form of Government'-the words beinl
&c quoted from the official decree on the sub
"a ject. The mere fact, however. that dis
pute of this nature has arisen and can b
: settled By the peaceable Intervention o
= the Federal authorities is significant o
progression years ago the opposing fac
v tions would have brought armed force
k into the field and tried conclusions at tn
mint of the bayOnet.
The commerce of Argentina is in
Il somewhat unhappy condition just now
/ The great boom of 1886 to 1889 cause'
o such enormous imitation in all branches o
+ business that the reaction afterward wa
n necessarily very severe. During thos
n years of unlimited credit speculation OF al
kinds was rampant. Wildcat schemes o
every description were thrown on th
e Buenos Ayres market and absorbed with
e out a thought of any investigation as Il
e soundness in the present or value in tn,
future Money poured into the countr,
from Europe to an extent that induced
r, the people to believe that the Rio Plat;
= was a veritable E Dorado, and that thel
If prosperity was assured for all time.
/. When the smash came in 1890 tht
amount Of thoroughly rotten business t
be liquidated was of vast proportions. Tt
IS make matters worse the currency in cir.