ARGENTINE NATIONAL MUSEUM. Another important adjunct to scientific study is the National Museum, located in Buenos Ayres. It was founded by the distinguished statesman General Revidavia, in 1823. It received but little support or encouragement, however, until 1854, when, under the protection of the Government, it was connected with the University of Buenos Ayres. It being necessary to place the museum under the charge of a person especially learned in natural history, the Government (General Mitre being Governor and General Sarmiento Minister of the State) selected the celebrated savant Dr. Herman Burmeister, of Germany. He has continued to be the director since 1862. The museum is divided into three sections, to wit: The artistic, the historical, and the scientific. The latter is especially attractive, from the fact that the province of Buenos Ayres has the most abundant deposit of antediluvian animals of any place in the known world. Indeed, the most complete and curious skeletons of fossil animals which are to be seen in the museums of London, Paris, Madrid, Turin, etc., have all been taken from the province of Buenos Ayres. Their exportation has now been prohibited by law, it being required that all such discoveries shall be placed in the Public Museum of Buenos Ayres. Mr. Bravard, in his report upon the geology of the Pampas, counts fifty species of antediluvian animals extracted from the earth of Buenos Ayres, of which only eight were known before his investigations in this country. Among the animals whose fossils are now to be found in the Argentine National Museum are the Megatherium, Mylodon, Glyptodon, Toxodon, and a veritable fossil horse, etc. These collections of extinct, as well as of living animals, render the museum of very great importance to persons who wish to dedicate themselves to the study of natural history; while Dr. Burmeister's great work on the physical characteristics of the Argentine Republic is a monument of patient and exacting labor.' SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. Nor are scientific societies wanting in the Argentine Republic. Among these may be mentioned the Argentine Zoological Society, the Argentine Geographical Society, the Argentine Scientific Society, the Argentine Historical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, Argentine Ethnographical Society, etc., all of which give to the public yearly publications in the form of Annuals and Reports. PUBLIC LIBRARIES. The importance of public libraries as powerful agents to assist in the instruction of the people is now coming to be fully recognized by the Argentines. Although it is only a few years since the Government made a movement in the matter, there are already upwards of 300 of these libraries distributed through the different prov-. inces. There is now a law which provides that the General Government shall contribute an equal sum to that which may already be subscribed to the foundation of new libraries or to the increase of those wlaich are already in existence. There is a central commission here in Buenos Ayres whose business it is to facilitate the acquisition of books for these libraries, to make exchanges, and to generally aid in the formation of new libraries. The most important of these public libraries is that of Buenos Ayres, which now contains about 50,000 volumes, as also many valuable mannscripts concerning the earlier history of the Spanish colonies. The library of the University of Buenos Ayres, as also that of the University of Cordoba, has a collection of about 15,000 volumes, and their archives also contain numerous interesting manuscripts of historical value. That of Cordoba was at one time the largest in South America, but the fortunes of 300 years of civil wars and private thefts have left the collection in a deplorable plight. When I la st visited it, a few years ago, it was in a most uncared for condition. The national library attached to the Department of Public Instruction in this capital, although of recent origin, is the nucleus of what is intended to be a grand book repository. It is already beginning to assume important proportions, and merits notice for the attention which it shows for books which illustrate the history and development of the country. THE NEWSPAPER PRESS. In regard to the public press-that most efficient and persistent means for the po⚫litical instruction of the people, and for the edication of public opinion-the Argentine Constitution has hedged it around with the amplest safeguards. That instrument expressly provides that "the Federal Constitution shall not dictate laws restricting the liberty of the press nor establish any Fe. leral jurisdiction over it." It further provides that "all the inhabitants of the nation shall enjoy the right to publish their been obtained are far greater than at the beginning I had reason to expect. We have already obtained with much exactness many important climatic data for a large number of points in the Argentine Republic; and we have succeeded likewise in drawing te isothermal lines with a very close approx. ination to the truth for the entire southern half of South America." Description physique de la Republique Argentine, par 1 Lerman Burmeister, etc. ideas in the public press without previous censorship." But the law of libel is exceedingly severe. The rights of private persons as well as public officials are carefully guarded against malicious libellers; and any abuse of the liberty of the press is a criminal offence, for which on proper complaint the offender is promptly arrested. Conviction is followed by fine and imprisonment. It may be generally said, however, that the political newspapers of the Argentine Republic are well conducted, and few of them ever venture below the line of fair and legitimate criticism. In this respect, I think, they compare favorably with those of other countries where free discussion is allowed. As with ourselves, the newspaper in the Argentine Republic is looked upon not as a luxury, but as an indispensable necessity. Everybody reads it. Newspapers are now published in all the principal towns of all the different provinces, generally each party having its distinctive organ; and they are following the march of development and civilization to the far frontiers. Indeed, with so sparse a population, the wonder is how so many of them can manage to secure the requisite support. They especially abound here in Buenos Ayres. With a population of 400,000 inhabi tants, there are published in this capital 34 daily papers, 18 weekly papers, and 19 monthly papers or periodicals. While many of these publications exhibit but little of what we would call "newspaper enterprise," some of them are as ably edited as any in the world. The Nacion, for instance, is edited by ex-President Mitre; the Censor, by ex-President Sarmiento; and the Prensa, by Dr. Davila. Other nationalities have also their newspapers, there being in Buenos Ayres three printed in the English language, 4 in the German, 3 in the French, and 4 in the Italian. Among the monthly periodicals are those devoted to agriculture and rural interests, to commerce and finance, to home industries, to schools and education, to the medical sciences, to law, and to general literature, many of them exhibiting a high degree of ability and merit. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. It is hardly necessary to add, that in the Argentine Republic there is the utmost freedom of religion and of conscience. The Constitution of the country provides (Art. II) that "the Federal Government shall maintain the Apostolic Roman Catholic Faith." For this maintenance and support of the state church there is an annual appropriation by Congress of about $200,000. The church establishment consists of one archbishop, whose see is in Buenos Ayres, and four diocesan bishops, who reside, respectively, at Paraná, Cordoba, San Juan, and Salta, together with other lesser dignitaries. The head of the Argentine church is elective; that is to say, the Senate selects a list of three persons, from which the President chooses one to propose to the Pope. The inferior dignitaries are also selected and invested by the Government. Aside from the established church, however, the Federal Constitution (Art. XIV) provides that "all the inhabitants of the nation shall enjoy the right to profess freely their religion;" and (Art. XX)" within the limits of the nation foreigners shall enjoy all the civil rights of citizens, and freely profess their religion." In pursuance of these provisions, there are in the different parts of the Republie numerous churches of other creeds. In the city of Buenos Ayres there is an English Episcopal church, a Scotch Presbyterian church, a German Lutheran church, two American Methodist churches (one of which is a missionary church), and a Jewish synagogue, all with duly installed clergymen, whose functions in marriages, baptisms, deaths, etc., are fully respected and recognized by Argentine law. Most of these churches have religious or Sunday schools attached to them, and some of them have received assistance from the Government. CONCLUSION. It will thus be seen that the Argentine Republic not only fully recognizes the great importance of the education and culture of the people by making it a distinet branch of the national administration, but that it is well on the way towards an efficient and liberally supported system of public instruction, which embraces primary and secondary schools, national colleges, normal schools, scientific schools, and the highest branches of university and professional training. In what it has thus far accomplished it has achieved a peaceful victory, far more glorious than any it may have won by the strength of its arms since its independence. STATISTICS OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN FOreign CountriES. [Table 112.] Table 112 presents the principal statistics relating to elementary education in foreign countries whose reports have been received at this Office. As few countries report their school population, the total populations have been given in Column 2, Part I, of the table, as a basis for comparing school enrolment. Where the latest census antedates by several years the year of the school report, estimates of the total population for a nearer date have been employed when attain-, able. The fact is indicated by a foot-note. Such estimates have been taken from the educational reports, or from the Statesman's Year Book for 1887. The school ages reported from 36 countries range from 6 to 16 years. From an inspection of Column 3, Part II, it will be seen that 7 countries report a longer period than 9 years, while eight report a shorter period than 8 years. The average period is 8.2 years. The statistics of school population and enrolment in Hungary include the youth 6 to 15 years of age, which are accordingly given as the limits of the school age. In fact, attendance upon elementary schools in Hungary is obligatory from 6 to 12 years of age, inclusive, and upon the "review" or "continuation" schools from 12 to 15 years. The latter may be day, evening, or Sabbath schools. In them the branches pursued in the ordinary elementary schools are reviewed, and somewhat extended. The school age in Bavaria includes also 3 years in the review schools. In England and Scotland it is customary to include only six-sevenths of the population in estimating the number of children for whom provision should be made in state-aided elementary schools. As the omission of one-seventh of the population in these estimates is misleading when the statistics are tabulated with those of other countries, the numbers showing the entire child population as given in the official reports from those countries are used in this table. It will be observed also that the school population of England and Wales is given for the years 5 to 14, and also 3 to 14; the former is the obligatory school period. Children are, however, admitted at 3 years of age, and the enrolment includes pupils as young as that, together with a small number above 14 years of age. In the case of Finland the enrolment includes pupils in infant schools. The ratios of school enrolment to total population, and to school population when reported, are shown in Table 113. In England and Wales the school population used in the computation is that of 3 to 14 years of age. Care has been taken to confine the table to the statistics of elementary schools, i. e., schools below the high school grade, which is substantially the same for all countries. In a very few instances the distinction is not clearly preserved in the original reports, and the totals of enrolment and teachers possibly include high schools. It is certain, however, that in these cases, which are few, the totals are not greatly affected thereby. A glance at the columns setting forth the number of schools and the school enrolment will show that the word "school,” or its foreign equivalent, has various applications. It sometimes signifies the scholars in charge of one teacher, and sometimes a collection of such bodies forming a series of grades in one building. In the case of Würtemburg, the number of teachers' positions is given in Column 12, the number of teachers employed not being reported. Pupil teachers are a feature of the school systems of England and Wales, Scotland, New South Wales, and Japan. They are included in the totals of teachers for the three former countries, the numbers being 27,804, 3,782, and 931, respectively. The teaching force reported for Ireland includes 665 work mistresses and temporary assistants. The expenditures reported include as a rule teachers' salaries, and cost of supervision and administration. For France the amount given is the sum expended by the State only. For Saxony the amount includes expenditure for 1,892 Fortbildungsschulen and two schools for deaf-mutes; for England and Wales and Scotland the cost of night schools is included; and for Ireland and Jamaica the amount is the reported income of the schools, which is presumably equivalent to the expenditure. In the following countries represented in the table, the elementary schools are free schools: France, Italy, Switzerland, Algeria, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Argentine Republic, Chili, Ecuador, Victoria, Queensland, and New Zealand. In these the cost of elementary education is defrayed by state and local funds. In Venezuela also the law provides for free schools, but this provision does not appear to have been carried into effect. In the remaining countries a portion of the cost is met by tuition fees. FRANCE. In addition to the elementary schools of France included in Table 112, the following statisties of superior primary schools are presented: Number of schools, 251; number of teachers, 2, 133; number of pupils, 21,939. School libraries for the use of pupils are reported to the number of 33,800, containing 4,159,208 volumes; also 2,626 pedagogical libraries with 803,419 volumes for the use of teachers. TABLE 112.-Comparative statistics of elementary education in foreign countries.-PART I. 2 3 4 Name and title of chief officer of education. Austria.... a23, 031, 248 1885 199.00 Hungary a16, 355, 686 1884 131.00 Belgium a5, 853, 278 1885 515.00 Franco 38, 218, 903 1886 187.00 27, 279, 111 Würtemberg. 1,995, 168 1880 1885 Dr. Gautsch von Frankenthurn, minister of public instruction and ecclesiastical affairs. 199.00 Dr. von Gossler, minister of ecclesiastical affairs, of public instruction, and of medical affairs. 185.00 221.00 Baron J. de Lutz, president of the council, minister of the interior, of ecclesiastical affairs, and Geheimrath Greim, "Oberschulrath." [Councillor of education.] Dr. C. F. W. von Gerber, minister of state and chief of the department of ecclesiastical affairs and Dr. Guyet, president of "Commission supérieure pour les affaires du culte et de l'instruction Committee of council on education. Vice-president for Scotland, Marquess Lothian; lord president for England, Viscount Cranbrook; 151.00 a29, 913, 607 1886 262.00 37, 547, 650 1883 253.00 Netherlands a4, 336, 012 Dec. 31, 1885 343.00 Russia in Europe (including Finland) 87,105, 080 1882 42.00 Actual Privy Councillor Delyanoff, minister of public instruction. Finland... a2, 303, 358 1885 16.00 Switzerland 2,846, 102 Dec. 1, 1880 179.00 British India 205,093, 375 1881 228.00 British Burmah. Bombay Presidency Algeria.... Cape Colony.......... Canada: British Columbia Manitoba 123.00 K. M. Chatfield, director of public instruction. 42.00 P. Hordern, director of public instruction. 2.00 Langham Dale, superintendent-general of education. .53 J. B. Somerset, superintendent of education for the Protestant schools. |