ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. 



35 



comprising 2,945 infantry, 2,571 cavalry, and 

 740 artillery. The National Guard was 400,- 

 000 strong. 



The navy consists of 38 vessels, mounting 73 

 guns, of a total tonnage of 16,612, with 13,055 

 indicated horse-power, and manned by 1,966 

 sailors. There are three iron-clads, four cruis- 

 ers, four gun-boats, seven torpedo-boats, four 

 steam transports, and sixteen smaller steam 

 and sailing craft. 



Railroads. The Alines in operation in the 

 summer of 1887 were as follow : 



Length in 

 kilometres. 



Government lines 1.37-1 



Lines belonging to the province of Buenos Ayres 989 



Lines belonging to the province of Santa F6 293 



Lines belonging to the province of Entre-Kios 2S6 



Private Hues 3.701 



Total 6,64S 



There were in course of construction 1.651 

 kilometres, to which will be added 7.925 

 kilometres of new lines, at a total cost of 

 58,500,000, on which the Government has 

 undertaken to guarantee 5 per cent, interest, 

 with the exception of the Formosa- Tarija line, 

 on whose cost only 4 per cent, is to be guaran- 

 teed. The Argentine railroad system for- 

 warded in 1887 7,657,406 passengers, and 

 3,705,876 tons of merchandise. The gross 

 earnings were $23,805,722, and the running 

 expenses $13,177,772 leaving net earnings to 

 the amount of $10,627,950. During 1886 and 

 1887, concessions were granted for the building 

 of 17 lines of railway; in 1888 there were 84 

 applications for concessions to construct new 

 lines. 



Jn 1888, 200 kilometres of tramway, out of 

 a total of 600 kilometres to be constructed in 

 the immediate vicinity of Buenos Ayres, were 

 in working order. 



Telegraphs. The lines in operation in 1887 

 were owned and operated as follows : 



There were added to the Argentine telegraph 

 system in 1887, 3,400 kilometres of line, and 

 4,000 kilometres were repaired. There were 

 in course of construction 850 kilometres of 

 state lines. The number of private telegrams 

 sent was 651,280; Government messages 

 85,049. The receipts rose from $271,441 to 

 $337.497; the expenses amounted to $515,425. 



Postal Serviee. The number of post-offices 

 in 1887 was 672. The number of letters 

 handled in 1886 was 24,362,842, of which 

 1,188,361 were Government dispatches, and 

 3.494,564 foreign letters; newspapers, 19,993,- 

 472, of which 2,185,324 were foreign. 



\ew Steamer Lines. A contract was made in 

 January, between the Government of the 



Argentine Republic and Robert P. Houston, of 

 England, by which the latter agrees to con- 

 struct ten steamers, of at least 4,000 tons bur- 

 den and a speed of 16 knots an hour, to ply 

 between the north of Europe and the ports 

 of the Argentine Republic, and four steam- 

 launches for emigrant service in Europe. 

 Also four steamers to ply between the United 

 States and the ports of the Argentine Republic. 

 The principal conditions of the agreement are 

 the following : The Government of the Argen- 

 tine Republic guarantees a lo:m of 5 per cent, 

 per annum on 1,250,000 for the European 

 service, and 5 per cent, per annum on 360,000 

 for the United States line. The contractor for 

 the European service agrees that these steam- 

 ers shall always fly the flag of the Argentine 

 Republic, and that, in case of war, the Gov- 

 ernment shall have the option to buy them at 

 a sum not greater than their original cost. 

 Exceptionally good accommodations are to be 

 provided for emigrants. 



In case the revenues of the contracting com- 

 pany exceed five per cent., it will retund to the 

 Government from this excess the sums it has 

 received as guarantees, and in case the reve- 

 nues reach ten per cent., the excess is to be 

 divided between the Government and the 

 company. The guarantee terminates at the 

 end of eighteen years. It is stipulated that in 

 going from Europe the steamers must not call 

 at any port except Montevideo and places 

 where it is customary to take coal ; but on the 

 return trip they may call at any port. One of 

 the steamers must arrive in the Argentine 

 Republic at least once a week. Passenger and 

 freight rates are to be fixed by agreement be- 

 tween the Government and the company. The 

 company also agrees to furnish each steamer 

 with a refrigerator capable of holding at least 

 3,000 dressed sheep or an equivalent amount 

 of beef. The service is to begin in February, 

 1889, and by the following November all the 

 steamers must be running. 



The United States service will be performed 

 under similar conditions, except that no re- 

 frigerators are to be placed on these vessels. 



Commerce. In 1836 there entered Argentine 

 ports 4,727 sailing-vessels, with a joint tonnage 

 of 764,238 tons, and 6,288 steamers registering 

 2,751,052 tons. In 1887 the increase in the 

 arrivals was 4,000 vessels, with a total tonnage 

 of 1.000,000. 



The foreign trade of the Argentine Republic 

 for six years has been : 



Imports. 



Exports. 



The .revenue collected from customs was 

 $44,114,000 in 1887, an increase of thirty per 

 cent, over 1886. 



