Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
OF
History of the
Argentine Republic
18571921
By
VICTOR M. BERTHOLD
of the
NEW YORK
Nineteen Twenty-one
History of the
Argentine Republic
18571921
By
VICTOR M. BERTHOLD
of the
NEW YORK
Nineteen Twenty-one
INDEX
Page
State Telegraph
Telegraph Rates
15
Railroad Telegraph
19
State Telephone
20
Private Telephone
25
Law Governing
....
32
3,
1920
Summary
30
34
of Telegraph Statistics of Argentine
Republic
Sources of Information
37
38
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC
GENERAL DATA
Area: 1,153,418 square miles
Population: 10,000,000*
Capital: Buenos Aires.
Population 1,900,000*
STATE TELEGRAPH
Origin and Development until 1875
had
is
is
practically
due to the
This anomaly
known
as the
line
Montevideo (Uruguay).
This
the public
November
The honor
Matthew Gray
of
1864,
was opened to
line
30, 1866.
graph
line
commenced August
30,
the
first
1857.
miles.
In passing,
Service
it is
of
itself
The next
telegraph
line, built in
451725
1868,
was due to
>:
connected the
Up
cities of
to 1869 the
graph system.
The
tional telegraph
commenced, however,
Na-
under
telegraph that he
said to
is
and Roads"
To
officially
recognized as the
by a
citation
is
substan-
year 1878.
Commenting
IN
The
first
is
an ordinary
connecting the
cities
of Rosario
distance,
capital
and the
cities of
San Nicolas.
The
following
list
Date of Inauguration
Entre Rios
Santa Fe
September
September
Buenos Aires
Cordoba
March
Tucuman
Corrientes
Catamarca
Salta
Jujuy
Rioja
May
.
10,
10,
10,
1870
1870
1871
Length of Line
from
Buenos Aires
535 km.
"
510
"
4,1871
,,671
1871
November 16, 1871
December 1, 1871
October
10, 1872
October
18,1872
November 14, 1872
December 19, 1872
1189
1374
1189
1404
1705
1789
1555
.November
16,
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
line
first
international tele-
The law
revenue for the construction of a telegraph line between Buenos Aires and Cordoba and another line
The
The
tric
Pernambuce to Europe.
first
telegraph
sition
legislative
is
act referring
to the elec-
A propo-
IN
Don
up
of
September
22,
1866).
Article 1
In Article 3
was
finished,
8%
The Memoria
The
6,640 telegrams
61,429
181,773
170,823
number
of public telegraph
offices as 58.
Up
1875-1890
had
1875,
The
all lines
introductory
is
a Govern-
interconnecting a
more provinces
are to
Provincial governments
territory
from
the
respect
all
without
Federal
first
Government, but
concessions granted
companies.
Thereafter,
railroad telegraphs
obtaining permission
may
they
must
no telegraph
line
except
Article 141
IN
Article
146
them-
where they
give and receive orally the message. This law
3,
1876, which
made
oj
own
telegraph systems.
make
Rios.
first
provinical lines
is
Buenos Aires
for 1883,
15,671
.
6,379
National
1,613
Provincial
3,585
So. Railroad
1,023
Ensenada Railroad
Northern Railroad
Campana
By
km.
56
21
81
Railroad
by
all
other provinces of
Con-
tinent of Europe.
Government exchanged notes with various South American republics in regard to becoming a member of the Convention Telegrafica Internacional, and on January 1,
1889, joined this convention. The Memoria of the
During
1888
the
Argentine
of the
Director
line,
with 45,300
paid messages.
During 1890 the Telegraph Administration signed
an important contract with Emilio Bieckert & Co.,
10
IN
and terminate
tract, signed
The
con-
word.
Bieckert
& Co.
of
the
agreement
sion to a private
for
pay
5%
either to Bieckert
&
annually, as interest
Having traced so
far the
development of the
timely to inquire about the
National telegraph, it is
administration of the service.
In the Memoria of
Director
General of Posts
Estanislao Zeballos,
and
"
Telegraphs,
the
Dr.
plete reconstruction.
com-
1890, he writes:
under
my
direction has
commencing September
entirely
new
1891,
we have opened an
set of books."
In view of this
formation,
1,
it
is
official
and uncontradicted
in-
from
its
Of
still
our lines
and
is
"The bad
Quot-
condition of
insufficient repairs."
demand
for
IN THE
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC
became so urgent that on
numerous new
lines to
the contemplated
number
of lines
had been
built.
bad
official,
condition.
accomplished.
"I think
He
wrote:
it is sufficient
The
first
cov-
main
mand
all
but only the replacement of such as deimmediate attention. The estimated expense
lines,
was pesos 1,226,900 m/n. Though favorably reported on by the Committee of Congress, so far it
has not reached the House of Representatives.
.
13
daily becomes
more
difficult
work that
National telegraph:
"
have stated in
volume of telegraph
my
has considerably
service
due to the
in-
difficulty
we have
in pro-
wire,
at present
lines.
amounts to approxi-
mately 40,000 kilometers of line, with 100,000 kilometers of wire. These figures, which by themselves
are impressive,
become
far
more so
if it is
remem-
That
this
lines did
not im-
IN
"The
been a
difficult one,
budget appropriations.
demands with
If
in-
we may claim
is
traffic
which are
tem-
serious
last
existing troubles
in-
TELEGRAPH RATES
As 29 laws have been enacted from 1872 to 1919
concerning telegraph rates, only a few of the most
important are noted below:
1.
25 centavos
for
30 centavos
for first 10
40 centavos
for first 10
name
free.
first
10
and
and address
free.
Law No.
Special tariffs
conferencias, etc.
apply
to
urgent
messages,
telegraph
1900 and 1915; but in the latter year the Administration decided to make a radical change, based upon
a careful study of the number of words contained in
50
cents).
It
S. currency.
16
IN
rate,
number
effi-
1916.
July
6,
1920, enacted
deliberation
Law No.
11025, which, as
is
on
Congress,
it is
inserted here in
full:
"Art. 10.
lines declared
The
rates
for
all
law of 1875, also for messages over lines of private companies that have joined the Argentine Telegraph Convention, shall be as follows:
1.
TELEGRAMS: A fixed charge of
20 centavos plus 5 centavos for each word, counting text,
ORDINARY
URGENT TELEGRAMS: A
3.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
fixed charge of 20
centavos plus twice the rate per word charged for an ordinary message.
RECEIPT:
50 cen-
tavos additional.
4.
MULTIPLE TELEGRAMS:
5.
RETRANSMISSION OF TELEGRAMS: A
In addition to the
date
for
the
a
fixed charge of 50
ordinary
proper class,
centavos for each address less one.
17
fixed
many
TELEGRAPH
AVISOS:
20
charge of
each address.
fixed
for
COLLECT MESSAGES: A
fixed charge of 20
4
times
the
rate
centavos and
charged for an ordinary
7.
telegram.
8.
of 20 centavos
for
an ordinary
telegram.
9.
fixed
URGENT MESSAGES
IN
CODE OR CIPHER:
for
an
ordinary telegram.
11.
charge of 20 centavos
for
fixed
an ordinary
telegram.
12.
For
TELEGRAPH CONFERENCIAS
(conversations):
For the
14.
first
COPIES OF TELEGRAMS:
thereof.
With
pre-
1 peso.
LETTER TELEGRAMS: Up
fraction
peso;
to 50 words,
in-
up to 100 words or
maximum number
pesos, the
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC
IN THE
interest
centers
pay
50%
gram."
RAILROAD TELEGRAPH
By
the Telegraph
Law of
By
the end of
22%
of
54%,
i.
e.:
Railroad Telegraph
Government Telegraph
Provincial Telegraph
Private Companies
Total
144,532 km.
"
100,065
"
13,589
"
10,677
54%
37%
268,863 km.
100%
5%
4%
ex-
little
benefit in return.
Government, many of the companies refused to comply with this stipulation, and openly transgressed
*One gold peso =$0.965 U.
S. currency.
19
As a
main
lines
must
Govern-
ment, to be operated as a part of the National telegraph. Up to December 31, 1915, the National
telegraph system had received 5,293 kilometers of
telegraph wire from the railroad companies without
STATE TELEPHONE
Local Service
some
extent, as
an auxiliary to the
tele-
To
graph.
"The Government
There
are,
however, a num-
and private
residences.
None
IN
(No. 8876).
The method
of constructing
them was
November
27, 1912.
From
published in the Anuaire Siatistique de la Province de Buenos Aires for 1885, it apstatistics
such
These
as
Flores,
Belgrano,
statistics also
Quilmes,
show that
and
others.
The
total
number
was
of subscribers
105,
and they were served by 8 employees. This, however, seems to have been the first and only venture
of the
field of local
telephone
service.
On March
3,
1883, the
Government
issued a de-
meaning
Telegraph
Law
had been
Subsequently, the Department of the Interior instructed the Department of Police to super-
passed.
and at the
of Tele-
7,
1902,
and the
Long Distance
The
first
Service
December
30,
1889, to
D. Daniel MacKinley, and provided for the construction of a line to be used for the transmission of
telegraph messages and telephone conversations be-
Article 4 stipu-
"transmission of the
voice" should be fixed in accordance with the provisions of the Telegraph Law of 1875.
This concession
is
11,
"
1900,
it
cap-
and received
its
charter on
March
14, 1888.
This
by
its
its
concession.
IN
but
years, as
this attitude
is
shown
changed completely in
later
me
put their own interests first, interests that are generally incompatible with the
obligations, always
by the Government of
munication
subject."
is,
electrical
Monopoliza-
means
of
com-
Telegrafico-Telefonica
del
Plata/'
"Compania
This company
by
lines
23
so-called "Castillo"
by the Govern-
should revert
thereafter constructed
Government
after
to
the
to the licensee, a provision that retarded the expansion of the existing lines,
and
also prevented
any
3,
1920, sub-
March
16, 1920,
"As the
Presidential Decree of
has suspended
all
considers
where there
an exchange
Article 32 states
exists
IN THE
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC
At the expiration of
exchange, lines, and all acces-
may have
cree
been added
shall
all
Up
to
May,
in
is
The
given at the
in the matter.
PRIVATE TELEPHONE
Concessions Granted 1881 to 1913
The
reluctance of the
telephone
field is
public leads
all
On January
users.
1,
42%
of the
South America.
the
5,
started the
first
Buenos Aires
in
company
the
2,
known
as
1881,
the
being
March
second, April
city of
first,
19, 1881, to
The
last
the
Com-
mentioned
May,
"La Minerva."
also in the
with 34 subscribers.
with
consent
the
of
the
"Comision
Municipal" of the capital, issued a decree authorizing O. Straube "para establecer oficinas telefonicas"
in
tional data
done under
it is
in the absence of
not known
this concession.
if
name
of
Plate
of all telephones
opment
in Argentina there
due to the
For the
we
IN
Name
of
Company
by the Census
m/n
34,750,000
($14,700,000),
legislation.
tric
Law
of 1875.
To remedy
new law
National Congress. He
commented upon the proposed law in his Memoria
for the year 1901 as follows:
for the consideration of the
"A
draft of law
is
now
by
all
the telephone
munication.
28
IN
interest of
an improved public
service,
and even
in
Indeed
While waiting
engaged in a study of
to solve the problem of telephone communication in
Department
is
1904,
No. 4408.
which time
it
Article 1 reads:
was approved
"It
Law
as
Law
hereby enacted
of October 7, 1875,
is
The
ment
so far relaxed
its
number
Company was
of circuits to
already
established,
traffic
increase.
The
i. e.
phone Company,
Plate Tele-
operativa Telefonica."
Plate Telephone
Company,
is
in the Argentine
Republic of
On March
was as
amount
of capital stock
follows:
5 each)
1,500,000
1,150,000
Issued:
200,000
1,350,000
Company was
IN
increased to
to again increase
While
city of
its
During 1921
2,000,000.
to
it
main
it is
proposed
2,500,000.
field of activity
devoted considerable attention to installing telephones in the Provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe,
The
and Cordoba.
1909
is
Number
Number
The
progress of the
since
statistics:
1909
1919
80
140
28,792
78,171
of exchanges
of stations
latest
Company
Due
it
Of the
total
number
1,
1920,
The United
Branch Exchanges.
Thus
Directors reported:
"We
have already
31
installed in
concerned/'
Company
Number
Number
of
Stations
Year
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909..
Year
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919..
8,089
8,484
8,680
9,542
12,402
15,573
18,494
21,042
23,861
28,792
of
Stations
34,540
40,325
47,326
53,792
54,439
56,582
60,568
65,788
72,005
78,171
result
number
(1883), a
of business
heavy increase
in rates, started a
movement towards
The
leader,
IN
ranza.
place February
5,
The statutes of the Assowere approved March 17, 1887, and by vote
Due
Association did
The
in
little
further work.
which appeared
June, 1888, contained the names of 735 sub-
scribers.
first
subscribers' catalogue
By June
30,
1913, the
number had
in-
was
8,062.
33
m/n.
The number
of
IN
may meet
it
or
more
localities.
A license
is
requested
local
16.
35
Power.
They
must
shall
Government over
never be
its
own
less
must be
become void
the State.
The
a concession
30.
The
service for
may
and maintain,
and during the entire duration of the cona telephone apparatus in each of the postal and
telegraph offices that may be installed in the locality served
of the exchange
cession,
a term of 50 years,
IN THE
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC
at
by
Law
(No. 750>).
concessionaires of existing lines or exchanges
will only be permitted to install new offices or extend their
lines if they have previously agreed that the concessions
under which the plants have been established shall be subject to the stipulations of the present law, it being under-
Telegraph
Art. 2.
The
Buenos
Aires,
September
3,
1920.
Year
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
1.
"
Legislaci6n postal y telegrafica. Convenciones, reglamentos, administration, 1858-1900." Buenos Aires, 1901.
Interior.
3. Statistical
Aires, 1872-1920.
4.
Anuario Estadistico de
5.
la
Republica Argentina.
Telegrafos.
Buenos
Aires.
6.
Censo
Industrial
Estadistica
de
las
Empresas
Telefonicas, 1913.
7.
Manual
del
(Dr. R. Castillo).
Buenos
Aires, 1911.
Buenos
Aires, 1900.
9. Annual Reports of The United River Plate Telephone Company, Limited. (London).
10.
fonica.
11.
Annual Reports
Information
received
sulates in Argentina.
13.
dence:
(a)
(b)
With
With
officials of
officials
of Telephone Companies.
38
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