Telephones.—The telephone is used in the capital and the principal towns—Rosario, Córdoba, Santa Fé, Tucuman, Mendoza, etc. Buenos Ayres is connected by telephone with Montevideo (124 miles), Rosario (190 miles), and will shortly be connected with Bahia Blanca (437 miles). The two companies established in Buenos Ayres, the “Telephonic Union of the Rio de la Plata” and the “Co-operative Telephonic Company,” represent a capital, respectively, of £243,963 and £582,032.
All these data, which we merely mention in passing, go to prove that the Argentine has assimilated all the details of industrial progress, even in their most improved forms. Experiments in wireless telegraphy are now being made with a view to communicating at long distance with the steamers leaving or approaching Buenos Ayres.
Various Industries.—At the end of 1908, according to the statistics of the official industrial census of that year, which was undertaken by the Department of Commerce in the Ministry of Agriculture, there were, in the city of Buenos Ayres, 10,349 factories or workshops, representing a capital of £23,443,144. The sales of these factories, etc., for 1908, amounted to £47,048,773. The raw material consumed was worth £25,223,681. The motive power employed in these factories was equivalent to 105,575 horse-power, and the number of workers employed was 118,315. Of the owners, 14·8 per cent. were of Argentine nationality.
If we compare these figures with those of the municipal census of 1904, we obtain the following results:—
| Census of 1904. | Census of 1908. | |
| Number of factories and workshops | 8,897 | 10,349 |
| Capital employed | £8,733,127 | £23,443,144 |
| Sales | £16,143,832 | £47,048,773 |
| Motive power consumed (H.P.) | 19,458 | 103,575 |
| Workmen employed | 68,512 | 118,315 |
| Raw material consumed | — | £25,223,681 |
| Masters or owners of Argentine nationality (per cent.) | 12·35 | 14·81 |
We see that even in four years there has been a remarkable development of the industries of Buenos Ayres. This development is especially demonstrated by the increase of
the capital represented by the sales of merchandise or manufactured articles and by the horse-power employed. At the end of four years the capital has increased by nearly 300 per cent., the sales by the same amount, and over five times the motive power is employed.
This progress is certainly remarkable, but it does not perhaps truly represent the actual progress achieved. The Director of the Census, Señor Ricardo Pillado, declares that “the general opinion prevalent in the offices of the census department is that certain important items of information, relating to matters of great interest, have been concealed by interested persons. Among such we may cite the value of output, the amounts of sales, the capital employed, the number of employés, etc.; as the manufacturers are anxious, above all, to shelter themselves from a possible increase of taxation or licences.” So that in spite of the satisfactory results of the last census, in spite of the notable increase of wealth and industry recorded, the figures given are far from representing the true significance of the industries of the capital city.
The results already given may be classified as follows, under the headings of the kind of industry, capital employed, value of produce, motive power, and employés engaged:—
| Industries. | Capital. | Value | Number of | Motive |
| of | Hands | Power | ||
| Production. | Employed. | (H.P.). | ||
| Gas lighting, electric lighting, | ||||
| lighting installations, | £6,712,470 | £2,227,376 | 4,754 | 66,392 |
| and plant | ||||
| Alimentary products | 3,873,386 | 10,520,532 | 14,227 | 11,756 |
| Clothing and toilette | 3,256,512 | 9,156,774 | 37,259 | 2,586 |
| Woven fabrics, leather and furs | 1,967,672 | 5,084,053 | 10,861 | 5,451 |
| Metal work, etc. | 1,598,722 | 2,916,793 | 10,090 | 4,311 |
| Graphic arts, paper | 1,489,525 | 2,178,294 | 8,296 | 2,758 |
| Woodwork, cabinet-making, etc. | 1,461,103 | 4,336,954 | 11,736 | 5,570 |
| Tobacco factories | 605,487 | 2,249,836 | 2,829 | 539 |
| Chemical products | 432,160 | 754,207 | 1,774 | 1,231 |
| Building | 408,056 | 1,097,219 | 4,415 | 719 |
| Art products, ornaments, etc. | 301,244 | 729,903 | 2,199 | 367 |
| Various industries | 1,364,881 | 5,779,208 | 9,875 | 3,895 |
| ————— | ————— | ——— | ——— | |
| Totals | £28,421,318 | £47,032,146 | 118,315 | 105,575 |
| ————— | ————— | ——— | ——— |