Evening star., 1932-01-26
BY ARMANDo MATTE.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, January
36.-The Uruguayan who wants, an in
surance policy on his life, his auto
mohile or his field of wheat can buy
it from the government,
The electricity that lights his home
and operates his radio comes from
government plants, If he lives in
Montevideo the government is his
butcher. The government owns third
of the railroad mileage. Government
tugs guide in and out Of the h9rbor the
5000 ocean vessels which call at Monte
video each year.
Government hotels in MontevideO
suburbs get the cream of the resort
business, government casinos offer the
sportive a chance to try their luck at
roulette, and a government cabaret has
Just been built,
Program of MonOnly.
Now the Republic of Uruguay-com-
parable in size and population to the
State Of KansaS-lS preparing to sell
its 100000 citizens their gasoline, in
dugtrial alcohol and cement, as 1t al
ready sells them chemicals and phos-
pl1ate fertilizers Existing legislation
enables the government ultimately to
own and operate the nations street
cars. telephones and waterworks.
This program Of monopoly, unmatc-S
ed by any country except Soviet Russia,
is not yet complete even in most OF
the branches Of business and industry
which have been entered. But 1t is
older by six years than the U. 5. 3. II.
or State ownership experiments IN the
United States. and Uruguay is Definite
- 81
tension.
The republic undertook its first
monopoly in 1911, when Jose Serrato,
minister of finance in the cabinet OF
President Battle Ordonez, put through
Congress a measure creating a state in
surance bank, arguing that an insur-
ance monopoly would keep Uruguayan
money in Uruguay, instead Of permit
ting considerable sums in insurance
profits to be exported every year to
stockholders dwelling abroad.
Completes for Insurance.
In 20 wears no new insurance COM
uanies have been admitted to Uruguay.
Companies existent in 1911 have been
allowed to remain, but the state has
competed so advantageously in the less
profitable branches that all the private
companies have been displaced except
in the field of fire, maritime and lie
insurance, and even most Of these have
sold out or retired. The government
hopes eventually to displace those
which remain.
Uruguay already had its Bank OF the
Republic, Official repository with ex-
elusive power to issue notes. 1t fol-
lowed its insurance venture by going
into the public utility business, buying
or building light and power plants, TAX
ing over the port services in Monte
video Harbor and acquiring over 500
miles of railway. The rest Of the rail-
ways will revert to the nation as their
British owned concessions expire.
A national chemical plant, built first
for experiment, now makes the coun-
try's sulphuric acid and 100000 worth
of agricultural phosphates yearly. A
national packing plant supplies the
Montevideo market and maintains live
stock prices.
Conducts Casinos.
The capital city of Montevideo, with
government consent and sponsorship,
now operates the splendid Pardue Hotel
in a seaside suburb and the Carrasco
Hotel on the beach farther out operat-
ing q gambling casino in each. The
newest municipal venture is a cabaret
which lifts a golden minaret beside the
sea on the former site of the city