The Argentine in the Twentieth Century — John Shaqi
The Argentine in the Twentieth CenturyMartínez, Alberto B.
History
The Argentine in the Twentieth Century
Martínez, Alberto B.
Argentina -- Commerce; Argentina -- Economic conditions; Finance -- Argentina
The country must continue to require considerable sums of capital for
her agricultural necessities, for her stock-raising, for commerce, and
for industries; and it may be asked whether the European markets, from
which, in great measure, her capital derives, can continue to afford her
an ever-increasing amount of assistance which will keep pace with her
development in all directions.
The Argentine is not so far self-sufficing. The soil is, to be sure, a
source of immense national wealth, but this wealth is not in the form of
a reserve to be drawn on; it is, as a rule, converted into real estate
directly it is produced; unless, indeed, it goes abroad. For a farmer
who makes a profit, say, of £8000 or £10,000, will immediately employ
his capital to acquire another holding or to start a different kind of
culture, instead of clearing off the debts which already burden his
property. He is contented with his position as a borrower; for if money,
even on mortgage, costs him 8 to 9 per cent., he can, on the other hand,
obtain a far higher interest by sinking it in the purchase of land.
From all this it results that in the Argentine rural and even urban
property is largely hypothecated. It must be understood that this capital
is well guaranteed, as its security rests not upon pure speculations but
on the yield of the property, which is far in excess of the charges;
however, since the general tendency is not towards redemption, one may
wonder if, sooner or later, there may not be a lack of equilibrium
between the impulse given to the country and its financial needs. The
crisis which arose in the wool market in 1908, the drop in the prices of
quebracho timber, and the restricted outlet for cattle on the hoof, and
even for refrigerated meat,——all these partial misfortunes are salutary
warnings, and we must not lose sight of them, nor allow ourselves to be
hypnotised by the high prices of wheat, maize, or flax, or the heavy
yield of the lucerne pastures.
For our part, in considering the future of the Republic no less than
its present interests, we hope to see it enter upon a period of
consolidation, rather than continue indefinitely the discussion of
further progress. Before entering upon another stage of development the
country must, for a while, mark time, in order to gain leisure to assume
its own liabilities, rather than continue incessantly to absorb new
capital.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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