AUCKNTINI-: 



33 



import duties, and warehouse fees or storage. 



It appiviM, tVniii ollirial returns, that tho prov- 

 inri- of iJucnns A viva stands fur 82 percent. 

 of that branch of the revenue; Santa F6, for 

 1 1 p, r cvnt. ; Kntre-Rios, for 5 per cent., and 

 inainini,' eleven provinces, for 2 per cent, 

 apor, printing materials and appa- 

 ratus plants, fruits, ice, tobacco (for shrijij, 

 gold, silver, church utensils, etc., scientific in- 

 struments, steamboat machinery, machinery 

 i',>r new industries, furniture, and immigrants' 

 baggage and other effects, are admitted into 

 public free of duty. Ploughs, coal, iron, 

 lumber, salt, silk, wrought silver or gold, and 

 st'Miii thrashing and reaping machines, pay a 

 duty of 15 per cent, ad valorem. Precious 

 stones pay 8 per cent, ad valorem. All otlier 

 commodities pay 25 per cent, ad valorem. On 

 Avines, etc., from Europe, an allowance of 10 

 per cent, is made for leakage. Hides, sheep- 

 skins, wool, beef, tallow, feathers, and bone-ash, 

 pay an export duty of 6 per cent, ad valorem. 

 All other articles exported are free of duty. 



In the budget for 1874, the revenue is set 

 down at $20,432,000, and the expenditure at 

 $23,421,392, the deficit of $2,989,392 being cov- 

 ered by treasury bills. 



In 1873 there was a surplus of nearly $5,- 

 000,000, the revenue having been considerably 

 greater, and the expenditure less, than the es- 

 timates. The revenue for that year was in 

 advance of that of 1872 by $2,044,852. 



The municipal revenue and expenditure of 

 Buenos Ayres City were as follows hi 1873 : 

 REVENUE. 



Weights and licenses $139,059 40 



limiting ' 141,37924 



Markets*. 43,84000 



Funerals and graves 21,337 20 



Abattoir* 14,699 96 



Huckney -coach stands 21,',>20 00 



Fines, fees, etc 39,576 20 



Total $421,112 00 



EXPENDITURE. 



Hospitals $82.654 32 



Scavengers 134,397 00 



Free schools 68.596 64 



Prisons, Board of Health, etc 11^,51(1 30 



Public works 137,370 48 



Lighting, etc 124,200 60 



Total $659,726 00 



Deficit $238,624 00 



The army of the republic consists of 9,000 

 regulars, and 150,000 National Guards ; in all, 

 159,000 men. The regulars are, for the most 

 part, stationed on the Indian frontiers at Men- 

 doza, Rio Quinto, Rojas, Azul, etc. ; and there 

 is a small number garrisoned at the national 

 capital. Of the National Guards, 40,000 are 

 in the province of Buenos Ayres. 



The navy is composed of a few old steam- 

 ers, and a small number of iron-clads of recent 

 construction. 



Through tho unremitting energy of ex- 

 President Sarmiento, and the zealous cooper- 

 ation of Dr. Avellaneda, then Minister of Pub- 

 lic Instruction, and now President of the Re- 

 public, education is in a very prosperous con- 

 dition. The number of public schools has 



almost doubled since 1808. According to of- 

 ficial returns, there are 1,645 of these schools 

 in tho fourteen provinces, with an aggregate 

 attendance of 108,000 the largest, in propor- 

 tion to tho population, in South America. The 

 census of 18(59 registered 812,011 individuals, 

 or one-fourth of the adult population, who 

 could read and write. 



The figures given above for the agregate at- 

 tendance at the schools include 400 youths re- 

 ceiving education at the national colleges. 



A prize of $10,000, offered by Congress to 

 any province one-tenth of whose population 

 should attend school, has been successively 

 awarded to Mendoza and San Juan. 



There are 120 free libraries in the republic, 

 exclusive of the State Library and tho Bitlio- 

 teca National in Buenos Ayres. The sum of 

 $22,776 is appropriated for their support. 



Although the civil war in the province of 

 Entre-Rios has sensibly checked the general 

 prosperity, its hurtful influence has by no 

 means extended to the foreign commerce of 

 the nation, which is rapidly increasing, both in 

 imports and exports, from year to year. 



The trade with tho various countries hi 1873 

 is shown in the subjoined table : 



In regard to the balance of trade, there was 

 a marked and progressive improvement from 

 1870 to 1872, viz. : 



(The decline in 1871 is to be attributed to the 

 yellow fever, which prevailed at Buenos Ayres 

 in the early months of that year.) 



But, on reviewing the trade of 1872 and 

 1873, a difference of 33 per cent, in the im- 

 ports over the exports is observed : 



