The Argentine Republic.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 397, 31 December 1889, Page 3

The Argentine Republic.

, 4 REAL LAJJD lIQOM. - Lesrita, November 8, ‘ The Argentine Republic moot be in a bad financial fix when so drastic a remedy as the sale in Europe of an enormous area of the State lands at a low. price is resorted to. Tbe avowed purpose is tho development of tho agricultural refc&£h\iUhe tetitoky, nothing is sold "awnvtbe n'ebessity for obtaining 'an influx' of gold to revive the depreeiated paper eurredsy. The land to bo thrown on the market amounts to 188,000,000 acres or 200,000 equate rpilee. This is more than equal to the whole extent of Victoria and New Zealand taken together, and must comprise nearly all th» unalienated land over which the Government has control. The portion to be sold in England ia considerably bigger than England and Wales. The lend ia avowedly to bo sold to settlers only at 8s 3d per acre, but the I 'quantity to each is liberal, and it will ba a wonder It landgrabbers are not ready with an army of dummies to pick out the eyes of the country. Strange to say the Germans, 4»l- -- lans, and aye to be excluded from competition, for no land ia to be sold except 1“ England, Itely, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Belgium, and precautions are to be taken against any particular nationality hording too much together. The plan adopted io to divide the land of any province among at least throe nationalities. It is not to be supposed that pnechMri wllf bo tound all at once foe ao tnuoh lahd. The purchase Money will amount to eomelbiog between. MQ.dOO.W. and £80,000.000, 8s Id being tho apMt prise. This will be the greateil

land boom on record, and it must have a disturbing influence on the colonising and immigration work in other South American States, if not further afield. It would not be at all a matter of surprise if Brazil and other big States were to follow the example, and improve upon it by offering still more tempting conditions of sale. It must be acknowledged that the Government of Argentine displays an immense amount of courage, but whether the stroke of policy will restore the credit of the Republic may be a matter of doubt.