164 



CHAPTER 



Twenty years ago, when agricultural progress 

 in its infancy, a Law was passed by Congress establishing 

 Elevators for grain throughout the country. 



Why, despite the evident necessity and convenient 

 of the measure, recognised as the corner stone of agricul- 

 tural progress and prosperity elsewhere, Elevators have 

 never been implanted in this land nobody has been able to 

 explain satisfactorily . 



The annals of Congress, both Chamber of Deputies 

 and Senators, testify to the persistent endeavours of 

 farseeinu men to have this system, considered the most 

 economical method of handling cereal products ever de- 

 vised, adopted here as it is in all other grain exporting 

 countries in the world . 



All that has resulted from these persistent efforts 



to stimulate the implanting of a system of elevators here 



has been the voting of various laws favouring their im- 



plantation, endless decrees regulating their Construction, 



but never the practical realisation. 



, The utility of a system of Elevators is denied br 

 none. Every successive Government has recognised the 

 fact, has appointed commissions to report on the system 

 which has been studied in all its phases. There exists 

 a whole library made up of reports, recommendations, 

 plans, diagrams, etc., etc., as a result of the huge sums so 

 spent . 



Nevertheless no progress is made towards solving- 

 the question practically. 



LAWS AND DECREES OVER ELEVATORS. 



If they have not been constructed it is not for the 

 want of facilities accorded on the part of the State, that 

 is if we are to credit the intentions manifested in the 

 laws and amendments over elevators, promulgated dur- 

 ing the last decade. 



Twenty years ago the first, steps were taken. The 

 railways began to construct elevators: buf before long 

 they limited their labours to erecting one ov two in the 

 ports, and then finally ceasedlbo have any interest appar- 

 ently in pushing the construction of the others which 

 were reported to have been planned . 



Thus the matter was given a rest ; agricultural pros- 

 perity proceeded apace for a few years, after which, as 



