BRAZIL 1073 



by 1,162 miles over the previous year, bringing the total mileage of railways in the 

 Republic up to 13,279 miles. Towards the end of 1910 the new Government floating- 

 dock, built by Messrs. Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness, and costing 187,700, arrived at 

 Rio. The number of immigrants in 1910 was 88,564, a total much above that of the 

 previous ten years, but still below that of the decade preceding. 



Following upon the naval mutiny (1910) the navy, by Governmental Decree, was 

 entirely reorganised in 1911. Doctor Nilo Pec.anha, ex-President, visited Europe, in- 

 cluding London and Paris in June 1911. The Government successfully concluded ar- 

 rangements with the Italian Government regarding emigrants from that country enter- 

 ing Brazil. The result was a considerable increase in the number of colonists arriving, 

 over 100,000 Italians leaving (Sept. isth) for the Republic through Rio. The total 

 number of immigrants amounted in 1911 to 133,600, an increase of 45,036. 



Considerable improvement took place in foreign commerce; excluding specie to the 

 value of 10,205,300, the value of the trade for 1911 was 129,842,300 (as compared with 

 122,735,800 for 1910), an increase of 7,106,500, or 5.7 per cent. The increase in the 

 exports amounted to 4,300,000, making the total exports for 1911 equal to 1,005,000 

 contos (50,250,000). The total receipts of the State Railways amounted to 32,197,000 

 milreis, which, however, still left a loss upon the working. 



The deaths of several prominent Brazilian statesmen and ex-statesmen may here be 

 noted. Dom Joaquim Murtinho died on November 12, 1911. Early in February 1912 

 Baron do Rio Branco, Minister for Foreign Affairs, died at the age of 65, his successor 

 being Senhor Lauro Severeano Muller, who, under President Alvez, had been Minister 

 of Public Works and Railways. On February 21, 191 2, Visconde de Ouro Preto, a promi- 

 nent figure in the days of the Empire, died at the age of 76; while on March loth Senhor 

 Guinle, a considerable land-owner, died aged 66. In July 1912 General Quintino Bo- 

 cayuva, one of the founders of the Republic, died at the age of 76. 



The better relations established between Brazil and Argentina were proved by the 

 appointment, in July 1912, of Dr. Roca to represent Argentina at Rio de Janeiro (being 

 succeeded in November 1912 by Dr. Lucas Ayarragaray) , and of Dr. Manuel Ferraz de 

 Campo Salles, ex-President of Brazil (1898-1902), to act as Minister to Argentina. The 

 latter was an appointment which gave considerable satisfaction in Argentina, since Dr. 

 Salles, during his administration, had striven to arrive at a good understanding with the 

 neighbouring Republic, having been the first Brazilian President to visit Argentina 

 (Oct. 1910), while President Roca, in July 1899, had at his invitation been the first 

 Argentine President to visit Brazil. 



The finances of the Republic continued to show a deficit, although the amount for 

 the year 1911 did not exceed 100,000. The National Debt, however, had been in- 

 creased during the previous year by the sum of 5,571,363 and frs. 60,000,000, and now 

 stood at 83,383,120 and frs. 300,000,000. By the end of 1912 the total deficit was ex- 

 pected to reach 260,000 contos (1,300,000), and the external and internal international 

 debts to exceed 3,000,000 contos (150,000,000). The financial situation was described 

 by Senhor Serze dello Correa, ex-Minister of Finance, as " extremely delicate," in spite 

 of the fact that the national revenue had nearly doubled in the decade 1901-11. A 

 feature of the Government's policy in order to increase the revenue was the gradual 

 elimination of exemptions from import duty, while full taxation was also imposed upon 

 all materials imported, in all departments Federal, State and Municipal. This action 

 on the part of the Government seriously affected foreign companies working in Brazil. 



As a further effort to save the national treasury from financial loss, the Central Rail- 

 way (built and operated by the Government at an enormous annual deficit) was offered 

 on lease to a syndicate. In the last days of July 1911 a serious collision occurred upon 

 the Central Railway which resulted in the death of over 100 persons. The line uniting 

 Brazil with Uruguay was inaugurated at Rivera, the frontier, July 18, 1912. 



In June 1911 Dr. Rodriguez Alvez, ex-President of the Republic, took over the Presi- 

 dency of Sao Paulo from Dr. Albuquerque Lines, who had held it for four years. The 

 State of Sao Paulo had now reached the apex of its prosperity, immigration progressing 



