COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL LIFE IN ARGENTINA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1263, 14 May 1896, Page 11

COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL LIFE IN ARGENTINA.

By the courtesy of Mr John Newton, of Wellington, we are enabled to make tho following" extracts from a very interesting letter ho lias recentfy received from an old Scots friend, now a prosperous merchant in Bueucs Aires, the capital of Argentina : Our life hero is not a very exciting one; now and again wo have a revolution, but we get used to thorn. I had the bad luck to miss the only important one which has taken place during my residence hero; just three days before it broke out I had sailed far home. Our oflice hours are, as a rule, long. 1 generally leave the houso at seven in the morning—very often earlier—and seldom get back before seven o'clock at night. Tho Saturday afternoon half-holi-day is an unknown institution, and Sunday work is far from uncommon. Of course, in a large city like Buenos Aires (the population of which is not far short of that of Glasgow) thero are all sorts of enjoyments. The English speaking race is well to tho fore. There are a number of athletic clubs, polo clubs, social clubs and clubs of all sorts of names and aims. Tho Dramatic Club and Choral Union have recently given us performances of tho " Pirates of Penzance," "The Mikado," and "lolanthe," which came very little short of _ what would be expected from professionals. There aro a very great number of Britons here, and ono cannot go very many yards along the city streets without hearing tho old familiar'tongue, and tho number of street signs in English must largely take away from a newcomer tho feeling that ho in in a foreign country. But it isn't through liking; the native does not like us one little bit, but ho finds it pay to appear to do so. All tho great enterprises aro British ; all the railways, with ono exception, which is French—aud a, disastrous failure—and two others, wdiicharo natives —and gigantic frauds. The throe principal Banks aro British; there aro German, French, Spanish, and Italian Banks. Tho latter is the most important of tho group. Indeed the other threo united, do not havo the business of tho least important of tho British Banks. None of theso Banks havo power of note issue, that is reserved for tho National Bank, which exists without a capital—at least tho only ono 1 ever heard of is tho printing press. This is the official bank, but no one, except Government, ever thinks of using it, except to get a loan from it. When you put on your thinking cap you will not bo surprised when I tell you that our currency is at a discount of something like GO per cent., but wo aro used to it now. The bank clerk is tho only individual whoso interest is untiring. He is usually paid in gold, and is always inquiring, as if ho were going in for a big " spec." of a few millions : " What i 3 tho rate of gold to-day ?" It must appear to you that it would be somewhat won ying to have this question of paper and gold, but it is not nearly so bad as it looks. Wo nover conserve paper, except when wo have a specific use for it, such as the purchase of produce for export. To do otherwise than conduct business on a gold basis would be sheer speculation, and no business man is fool enough to do that, as ho knows it would mean disaster sooner or later —■ probably sooner than later. The country is a magnificent one, capablo of untold extension, as there aro within it all kinds of lands and a big variation of climate. The export of our cereals is already an important factor in the markets of Europe, as also that of live stock. The former business is capablo of great development, and tho latter is only in its infancy. The only trouble is that tho country is in the wrong hands. Wherever Spanish is spoken you will find corruption, dishonesty and ignorance. The distinguishing characteristics of the race aro pride and ignorance. They are born orators and could harangue you by the hour, until you would wonder whether you stood on your head or your ieet. Their patriotism sticks out liko a. sore finger. They never lose a chance of shouting 7y't patrial Nor do thoy of gettingasituation in a Government department with a salary, say, of sixty dollars a month and the possibilities of " the little things about the yard," which may, as often as not, multiply that by such a flea-bite as ten times. Such tilings as a man having „610 a month and on that having a carriage and pair and an opera box for tho season aie far from unknown.

It is an enormous pity that tho country, with its fine sweep of territory, did not fall into the hands of tho Anglo-Saxon race. If it had, it would, in point of commercial importance, have far out-distanced Australia and New Zealand. It has the great advantage of clone proximity to Europe, and a greater ;.rea of land capable of cultivation.

The groat drawback is the race ; thoy themselves aro non-progressive, and look on every improvement as only another source from which to derive fresh revenue by taxation. They aro positive geniuses in tho matter of taxation. We have import duties, export duties, national, provincial and municipal taxation, an 1 taxation on land and buildings. You can't move a horse, sheep or a head of cattlo from one place to another without paying

a tax. A doctor is even compelled to put a revenue stamp on his prescriptions. You can neither be born, married or buried without stamped paper. Where all the money thus realised goes to is a mystery. Certainly we keep up lots of martial show. In our army we have enough Colonels and Generals, and in our navy sufficient Admirals to do for the British forces, and amon" them enough gold lace and " side " to do° for all Europe. Recently we have had a bit of a war scare, the trouble being with our Western neighbours—the Chilians —about the boundary question. Some years ago a treaty was signed on behalf of the two countries, by which a basis of agreement was come to, the actual demarcation being postponed for a future date, to be carried out by mixed committees representing both countries. The Chilians stole a diplomatic march upon us in that treaty by the insertion of two words —••divortia aquarum," which makes it read, instead of " the lino shall bo drawn from the highest peaks of the mountains,' " the line shall be drawn from the highest peaks which divide the waters," thus making i the boundary traceable from the watershed instead of from the Andes. _ The newspapers here have been most intemperate, and wroto furiously, and at one time a very littlo would liavo provoked a war. Now it is the turn of the Chilians, but they write in a cooler and calmer spirit, which sounds like confidence Although the Argentines think thoy would have no difficulty in wiping out the Chilians, there are very few foreigners who do not think that in the event of a struggle this country is in for a very big whipping. It is quite likely that this Republic could put more men m the held, but not nearly so well trained or equipped as are the Chilians.- For some years back the latter have employed Gorman officers as drill instructors, and they have recently imported them in such numbers as to cause great uneasiness on this side of the Andes. The Argentine scoffs at the Chilian for employing foreigners, but time will tell which has been the wiser. The Argentine is too proud—and ignorant—to admit the possibility of anyone teaching him anything. I