In the succeeding review of the progress achieved by the Argentine
Republic during the past twenty years, by a comparison of the facts and
figures relating largely to commercial movement, uniformity of date has
been overlooked and particular years have been selected, in some cases,
for the reason that official figures have not been available to equalize
the comparisons, although most of the figures given are embraced within
the period named.
The factors which, in a material sense, contribute chiefly to the
progress of a nation, are its sources of production, its means of
communication both within and beyond its territories, its domestic and
fiscal legislation and the labor and enterprise of its people. It is
therefore to these matters that it is principally intended to draw
attention, in so far as they pertain to the national industries, to home
and foreign trade, to railways, to ports and shipping, to finance and to
the general advance in all matters of a kindred nature; and as this
purpose will be better served by a straight-forward and concise
formulation of official figures shorn of all comment which might tend to
obscure their real significance, the form in which they are presented
will convey, at a glance, the extraordinary growth of the Argentine
Republic: