The farmer and mechanic., 1915-05-25


side of the equator. 1t lasts from
May 1 to September 80, and the sit
tings for the house take place Mon
days, Wednesdays and Fridays, ana
on the other days of the week Tor the
senate. The Congress is formed In
much the same way as ours. Ihere
are two bodies, the senate and house
of representatives. The senate has
thirty members, two from the capital. |
and two from each province elected |
by a special body Of electors, who |
meet at the capital, and by the legis- |
latures in the provinces. The house |
OF representatives consists OF 12O
deputies, elected by the people. By |
the constitution there must be one
deputy for every $4,000 inhabitants.
The deputies are elected for four
years, but one-half must go out every
two years. A deputy must be twenty
five years of age before he can run,
| and have been for four years citl-
| zen.
The senators must be thirty years Of
age before they are eligible, and must
| have been citizens for six years. They
are elected for terms of nine years in
| stead of six years, as with us. Both
| senators and deputies receive salaries
| Of $500 a year. The president gets
an annual salary Of about $4,000 Of
| by a few wealth. families, the aris-
|
about $4,000 for his official expen-
ses The vice-president has salary
| of about $4,000, with $10,500 for
| official expenses, and each of the
| eight cabinet officers gets about S16,-
| 900 per annum.
There are property qualifications
for all congressman, and a senator
| must have an income Of at least $500
a year. All money appropriations
| must originate in the house Of dep
uties, and only the deputies have a
| voice in fixing taxation.
In addition to the national govern
ment the republic has state govern
ments and state legislatures such as
we have. Each Of the fourteen prov
inces elects it's own governor, par
lament and judges, and each has its
own constitution. Each has it's own
courts and it's own laws for legal pro-
ceedings, but it can only make such
laws as do not affect the national
Ia VS.. On paper, the rights of the
people are about the same as those
, Of The United States, and the country
is quite as free and democratic as
, ours. II! reality, however, it is like
every Latin American republic an
oligarchy. The government is run
, tOcraic ArgentinOs dominating the
, whole. The great leaders have their
? there is a vast deal Of graft. Argen-
tina is much as the United States
was in the days Of Boss Tweed. I do
4 | not mean to say that there is no pa
r triotism or honesty. Many of the
better class Argentinos love their
: country, and are doing all they can
: to fight down the official corruption
$ and to put their nation in the front
: rank among the republics.
4 In many ways this republic is bet
+ ter off than ours. AS far as individ-
!. ual rights are concerned, there is lib
IS erty and equality, and before the law
the foreigner has the same rights as
n citizen. There are no titles of no.
>, bility Property is inviolable, and the
$ state sees that the father provides fol
IS MS chlldren. In our country a mar
IS can make will giving his possessions
= to Whomsoever or whatsoever h
le pleases and cut off his daughter OIL
X son with a nickel. In Argentina the
laws provide that father must leave
his children four-fifths Of his for.
3 tune, and husband, if he has NJ
at ! Chlldren, has to leave half of hi:
lg property to his wife. An unmarried
ar son is compelled to leave his parent
= tWo&hlrds of his property, and onl,
l. unmarried persons without parents o.
is descendants can make wills diSposin.
it. of their possessions as thew see fit.
d. Religion is free in Argentina. AL
is most all Of the people are Catholic
lie ana the state gives some support t.
I'd the Catholic church, but all othe
,r creeds are tolerated, and any on
al may worship any god in any way h
he pleases.
ee Primary education is free and com
n pulsory for all children of from 81
ke 70 1ourteen years Of age. The govern
nd ment has national council of educa
a uon; and at present about two-third
ID, or tAe children Of school age are in at
n tendance. The republic has in tn
k nelghborhood Of $4,000 teachers an
Soo,oOO pupils in the primary schools
,re 1t has thousand teachers in the seI
DIV ondary schools, and there are thirt
ng liohal Colleges, with about 5000 SIT