Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-08

What are the names of the three
largest cities in the Western Hemis-
phere? About 100 out of every 100
well-posted citizens of the United
States would promptly answer-NeW
York, Chicago and Philadelphia. And,
according to a communication just re-
ceived by the Pan American Union
they would guess wrong. This message
states that the corrected returns OF the
recently taken census show that the
population of Buenos Aires has grown
to 100, 900, thus passing Philadelphia
and crowding her out of the third
The growth of the Argentine capital
has been phenomenal. In % years II
has almost trebled it's population and
become the largest city in the world
south of the equator, the largest Span
ish speaking city in the world, the
second largest Latin ctty-Parfs alone
outra hiking it-and the third largest
city In the Western World. Tmmigra-
ton is, of course, largely responsible
for this rapid increase, but the cfty's
birth rate, 34.1 per thousand, has cut
considerable figure.
Some more interesting questions, the
answers to WHEN are not very general
~ known, might be asked in this con-
nection. For instace-Where is the
finest Jockey Club in the world? Where
the most expensive theater III the
Americas Where the most remarka i.
bic newspa7 Der building in the world?
Where the most deliberately housed
municipal water-works station? Where
the most INTELLECTUALLY artistic bust
ness street? And the answer to each
is Buenos Aires.
A few other noteworthy facts rela-
tive to the Argentine metropolis are
the following: Not only is it the great
est South American sea port, but in
point of entrances and clearances of
vessels engaged in foreign trade 1t is
ahead of even New York, while in ton
mage and value Of foreign commerce
il ranks next to New York in all the
Americas. 1t is the greatest wool eX-
porting port in the world, late returns
showing that it has crowded sydney,
Australia, out Of first place. In ex-
ports of frozen and chilled beef Argen-
tina leads the world; next to Russia IT
exports more wheat than any country
In the world; in the production and ex-
port of linseed 1t leads the world; while
in the export of corn it more than
trebles the United States, and, of
course leads the world.
Relative to the newspaper building
mentioned above in a descriptive ar
ticle in a recent issue to the Monthly
Bulletin of the Pan American Union
| Edward Albes writes:
THE building is on the Avenida de
Mayo. not far from the Plaza, and is
! said to have cost over $4,000, 900. In ad-
dition to the newspaper plant the own
ers of La Prensa (The Press) main
| tain at their own expense free medl-
cal dispensary, an able physician and
assistants who prescribe for and at
tend charity patients; law office
where the poor may go for free lega
! advice; free library; and a free en-
ployment agency. A large concert nall
| beautifully decorated with paintings
and frescoes, is maintained for its staff
| of employees, who also have a gym
nasium and a private restaurant. FL
| naIly a suit of rooms is maintained
| consisting OF a banquet hall, smoking
room, ladies' boudoir, reception room
| and sumptuously furnished bedrooms
| for the accommodation of distinguish
ed visitors from foreign countries as
| guests of the nation in general and OF
La Prensa in particular. These apart
ments are not inferior in their furn-
| ishings and artistic decoration to many
| of the renowned palaces of European
| royalty. Incidently the paper claims
| to have the most extensive foreign
news service of any paper in the
| world
THE Avenida de Mayo is unques-
/ tionahly one. of the greatest thorough
fares in the world. 1t is about 100 feet
wide and nearly mile and half long
extending from the Plaza de Mayo
| at the lower end to the new plaza IT
! front of the Capitol at the upper. Along
| the middle, suspended from ornament
| al iron posts, is double row of arc
| lights, and on each side near the curl
| of the 20-feet sidewalks, is row o.
fine trees extending the entire length
of the street. The main feature which
strikes the stranger. however, is th'
uniformity in height, and the fine ar
chitecture of the buildings. The mu
nicipal government offers an annua
prize for the most artistic building
erected on the several business streets
and supplements this prize by exempt
Ing the building from taxation for
certain number of years. Again, unde
the building regulations each new
structure must harmonic in architec
ture. height and material with =. 1t