BUENOS AYRES

Otago Witness, Issue 1895, 16 March 1888, Page 31

BUENOS AYRES

Buenos Ayres, with a population of some 325,000, lies along the southern bank of the River Plate. The river is so wide at this point that the opposite shore cannot be seen, and, indeed, as far as appearances go, the city might be situated on the open sea. Like Monte Video, the city is well placed with regard to effect, and presents a grand appearance when approached by water. Unfortunately for Buenos Ayres, the expanse of water lying before it is so shallow that the great ocean-going vessels have to lie nine miles out, unless they oare to ri.^k coming up a narrow buoyed channel to the Boca.

Landing at Buo.nos Ayres from nn oceangoing steamer accordingly involves a long journey by boat, and, as evon tho boats draw too much water to get to shore, high twowheelcd carts are driven info the water, until tho water j^t novels the horses' backs, their heads alone being above water, and into these carts the passengers and their baggage ure transferred.

Buenos Ayres will bear comparison, as far as buildings go, with European cities. Throughout the city palatial buildings are rapidly taking the place of 'moderate-sized houses, the larger and more imposing structures being already sufficiently numerous to give tone to the city. Admirable tramways run throughout the city and far into the suburbs. Buenos Ayres, like most South American cities, is laid out upon the chessboard plan. If it were not for the tramways, the roads would be found most irksome to got about, the unevenness of the metalling being simply astounding to a European. Ruts and hollows in which one could lie down and disappear abound. Several of the roads have never been metalled, and are still mere earthern tracks. In dry weather they are inches deep in dust, and when heavy rain comes on they are a deep sea of liquid mud. Until one has seen the extraordinary way in which these earthern roads convert themselves inio absolute bogs, one cannot fully appreciate how realistic is the story of the man who, picking his way along one of these mudways, saw a hat apparently floating on the surface. He kicked it with his foot, and was surprised to hear a gruff yoice from underneath say —

" Leave my hat alone." "Who are you?" " Who am I ? Why, I'm the conduotor on the top of an omnibus." One cannot expect everything to come quite straight all at once, especially when there is a limit to the rates local authorities may levy, but such little inconveniences will doubtless be righted in time. A complete system of main drains has been constructed in Buenos Ayres. The completion of the new sewers was celebrated by a series of banquets held inside them. The authorities, however, appear to be in no hurry to complete the drainage scheme by connecting the houses wi^h drains, and until this is. done it isj difficult to see how the drains can be of much service.

The Argentine Republic, like the United States, has a double system of* Government, national (or federal) and provincial. The rights of the respective Governments to somo extent overlap, and sometimes a conflict of jurisdiction arises. Such a conflict arose in connection with the drainage of Buenos Ayres. The sewers were built by the

National Government, which has its seat at Buenos Ayres.

The Plaza Victoria at Buenos Ayres extends over eight acres, and is surrounded by many effective buildings— the Cathedral, Bishop's Palace, Government House, Opera House, Post Office, and Custom House. Buenos Ayres has about a' dozen plazas of from eight to 12 acres in size. The largest is the Plaza Constitution (16 acres), formerly the great w6ol market, and now chiefly remarkable for being confronted on one side by the terminal station of the Great Southern railway. This station would probably astonish some of the shareholders if they saw it. Its marble halls and staircases, with magnificent lions couchant, are laid out on truly magnificent lines. It would put Euston or Paddington quite into the shade. I went over the station barracas (stores) for wool, hided, giain, &c, and they seem to be excellently arranged. About one-third of the population of Buenos Ayres are foreigners. The foreign immigrants, especially the Italians, keep in touch with each other by belonging to various friendly clubs and political societies, and occasionally these associations have made most imposing political demonstrations. As no one is entitled to a vote unless he formally takes up his citizenship, thousands of the most enterprising and thriving of the community are unrepresented in the councils ot the Stare. It is, therefore, an advantage that they should be linked together in associations which can, when necessary, make their voices heard. It would be better, however, if residents of three years' standing were allowed to oxcrcisu the franchise, so that their interest and opinions might have due weight in the councils of the country, of which they form a valuable and important element. The English-speaking community in the River Plate is a very small one, and chiefly confined to the upper middle class, merchants, and estancieros. Of the three strands which make up the Englishspeaking people, the Irish take the lead in the River Plate, next rank the Scotch, and last in point of number and irriportance come the English proper. There is a great deal of stucco in the buildings of Buenos Ayres, but in a climate where this material is able to resist " the tooth of lime " for years together, it is not so objectionable as in England. The prevalence of stucco is due to the absence of building stone, and the absence of building stone is due to the province of Buenos Ayres, for 200 miles from the capital, being nothing but one vast tract of rich alluvial deposit. It is owing to the wealth of the province in good soil that architecturally the city is weak. It is really a land of brick, and of brick only, and of brick its buildings should he built.

Both the English banks at Buenos Ayres are housed in splendid buildings. Handsome, airy, and admirably finished in every particular, they would be an ornament to any city. It seemed rather strange, on going into such stately buildings, to find the clerks doing their work in their shirt sleeves, many of them smoking the everlasting cigarette. No doubt the feeling of incongruity would wear off, but it shows how what we call the " proprieties" have to give way before the intense heat and languor of a sub-tropical country.

The province of Buenos Ayres possesses a soil almost unequalled for richness, a splendid climate, and the advantage of being bounded on three sides by sea or river ; although only a tenth of the whole Argentine Republic in area, it is as large as Great Britain and Ireland together. The Argentine National Government borrows largely in foreign markets, and the Governments of most of the provinces do the same ; the province of Buenos Ayres, owing to her great natural advantages, borrows on as good terms as the National Government.— From " Zephyrus," by E. P. Edgcurnbe.