ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. The city is divided into 14 sections. which elect the municipal council, and for the administration of justice into 20 districts, each with a justice of the peace. Numerous electric and horse tram ways facilitate communication throughout the city. There are six railroad companies con necting Buenos Ayres with the north, south, and west, while numerous steamers run from here to Montevideo and towns along the Parana and Uruguay rivers as far as the confines of Brazil. The city is connected with foreign countries by cable, and has an extensive telegraph and tele phone system.
Primary education is provided in more than schools, with nearly 60,000 pupils. There are four colleges for secondary education, in cluding cannmercial and normal schools. The National University, founded in 1821, ranks among the finest in South America, It pos sesses a library of 36,000 volumes. There are two public libraries, the municipal and the Saint Christopher. The number of schools exceeds that of public schools, and there are also various professional institutions, a mu scum of natural history, with the famous Bur meister collection, and numerous scientific and literary societies and clubs. The newspapers and periodicals published in the city number more than 100. 23 of them being issued daily, in Spanish, German, Italian. French, and English. There are 15 hospitals for French, German, Eng lish, Italian. and Spanish patients, and one for
women, besides lunatic, foundling, and orphan asylums, and a shelter for immigrants, the last being aided by the State. The city also main tains shelters for the night, a Pasteur institute, and a crematory. There are many philanthropic societies, notably the Sociedad de Beneficeneia, founded by Bernardino Rivadavia in 1523, and composed of WOMell, and tho.e founded for tho care of immigrants of the different nationalities.
On account of the low situation of the city, improved methods of drainage and house and street cleaning have been put into operation, the refuse collected being burned by the city. Water is supplied by the municipality, drawn from the La Plata just north of the city, and purified by filtration. There is a well-organized system of police and fire protection. Formerly Buenos Ayres was at a disadvantage because of the lack of a harbor, the Plata being so swift and shallow at this point that sailing vessels had to anchor 14 miles down the river, the cargoes being trans ported to the city in lighters. At present there is a large and complete system of basins along the water-front, permitting vessels of 22 feet draught to dock within a short distance from the principal business portion of the city, and to connect at the water's edge with the railroad terminals.