The sewage of the city is handled by the circulating or dynamic sewage system. Drain age works costing over $35,000,000 discharge into the estuary of La Plata near Quilmes, 15.5 miles southest of Buenos Aires.
Another question which occupies the Argen tine hygienists is to find a type of sanitary dwelling which will correspond to the change of customs and to the increase of Buenos Aires is the only city in the world with buildings suited to a mild climate which sud denly had to face modern conditions occasioned by a congested population and the rapid distri bution of a heavy traffic, resulting from its being an important seaport. As they are now, the city blocks are not adapted to meet these demands. They have an area of more than four acres and there is no provision for an empty space in the centre. Therefore, the city lots are too long, the houses receiving light and air from a court or patio, which in the case of a many-story building does not provide for either. Besides, long houses do not afford privacy or comfort and are heated with difficulty — a serious detri ment in a city where the temperature falls sometimes as low as 28° F., together with great moisture in the air.
Public Utilities.— The principal streets are electrically lighted, are well paved with asphalt blocks of wood and granite, and are kept in good repair, cleaned and sprinkled. The in ternal business of the city is very considerable. In 1904 there were 315 miles of street car lines, of which 166 miles were electric and 149 miles were horse-car lines; the latter power is grad ually being exchanged for electric traction. During the year 1905 there were constructed kilometres of electric roads. The street railroads carry about 180,000,000 passengers, there being a vast increase in the last 10 years. There are also about 20,000 carts, 5,000 car riages, of which 2,500 are for hire, and 500 automobiles, which are in large demand. The five railroad stations handle about 15,000,000 passengers and 4,000,000 tons of merchandise; the post-office 85,000,000 letters and 76,500,000 packages and pamphlets.
Water required for general purposes is drawn from the estuary five miles above the city. The waterworks consist of two tunnels, subfluvial and subterranean, 18,702 feet in length, with two pumps capable of raising 6,073, 320 cubic feet of water to a height of 49.2 feet every 24 hours. The filtered water is carried to a central reservoir at the highest point in the city. This distributing reservoir is provided with forcing pumps having three distinct flows: there are 12 tanks, elevated in groups one above another at 39.3, 55.7 and 72.1 feet respectively.
It is the most noticeable iron construction in the city; 16,000 tons of iron were used in building it. The exterior is of pressed brick and vitrified tiles. The annual consumption of water is 11,000,000 gallons or a daily average of 33.5 gallons per capita.
The telephone service is very deficient. It has only 7,000 subscribers and connections with the cities of La Plata (38 miles), Rosario (186 miles), and by cable with Montevideo (125 miles).
Industries.— Buenos Aires is not especially industrial. There are not more than 119,000 workmen in its factories and workshops, where they work hides, wood, metals, clay for bricks, chemical products, constructive materials, manu factures pertaining to lights, furniture, carpets and hangings, cloths, preserved foods, etc.; and this production is stimulated by the protection of the custom-house, in spite of which Buenos Aires is well supplied with articles made in Europe and America. According to the last industrial census taken in the city of Buenos Aires, there were 10,350 industrial establish ments.
Banking, Finance, etc.— Buenos Aires sup ports 21 banks of discount with a joint capital of $100,000,000. As late as 10 years ago, 10 were foreign and represented all the principal cities except New York, notwithstanding that in 1905 the business transacted with the United States amounted to $44,637,901, having increased 110 per cent in the previous five years; all of this business had to be done through London banks. In a year the Bolsa de Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) transacted business to the amount of $174,061,251, and the Clearing House passed through $2,875,924,788.35. The municipal taxes amounted to $7,500,000, 41 per cent of which is devoted to loans for new undertakings, 29 per cent for direct taxes and 11Y2 per cent for indirect taxes. In 1917 the National City Bank of New York was estab lished in this field, with branches at Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Landed property sells yearly to the average value of $35,000,000, vary ing from $20,000,000 to $40,000,000 a year. The value of buildings constructed annually amounts to $15,000,000. There are annual transfers of real estate amounting to $42,240,000. The aver age of fire losses and insurance paid has not been high. See ARGENTINA — BANKING, ETC.