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Baldomero Argente
Baldomero Argente del Castillo (1877–1965) was a Spanish politician, sociologist, lawyer, economist, writer and journalist. He was a disseminator of the ideas of georgism in Spain. A member of the Liberal Party, he briefly served as Minister of Supply from 1918 to 1919. BiographyBorn on 6 February 1877 in the province of Granada (sources report as birthplace either Jerez del Marquesado or "Granada"),[1][2][3] he was the natural son of a priest, and was raised by his aunt.[4] He took baccalaureate studies in Granada.[2] He began university studies in Law in Valencia, ending them in Manila, earning the licentiate degree in 1896.[2] He served as lecturer in Mechanics at a school in the Philippines.[2] He also worked as lead writer for the Diario de Manila and as editor of El Porvenir de Bisayas.[2] He served as volunteer in a cavalry regiment, fighting against the insurgent tagalos.[2] Following the loss of the Philippines at the 1898 Spanish–American War, Argente returned to Mainland Spain by mid 1899.[2] José Francos Rodríguez appointed him as ed-in-chief of El Globo.[2] He took an interest in the reading of books on Economy, Administration and Sociology, becoming an adept of the theories of Henry George.[2] Translator of the American economist's works,[5] Argente had a central role in the dissemination of the ideas of georgism in Spain.[6] Argente opened a law firm in Madrid, and was appointed as substitute prosecutor of the Audiencia of Madrid.[7] He did not stop writing books and collaborating in newspapers, such as Diario Universal, Heraldo de Madrid, and El Imparcial,[7] as well as magazines,[7] such as Nuevo Mundo.[8]  He was elected member of the Congress of Deputies in representation of Alcaraz (Albacete) at the 1910 election.[9][10] He was elected as Madrid municipal councillor at the 1911 municipal election and was appointed as deputy major in 1912.[11][12] He earned a parliamentary seat in representation of Las Palmas at the 1914, 1916, 1918, 1919,[n. 1] 1920 and 1923 elections,[13] and as representative of Fregenal de la Sierra (Badajoz) at the 1919 election.[14] A follower of the Count of Romanones,[1] he was appointed as Minister of Supply in December 1918, only to leave the portfolio in February 1919.[15] He became a member of the executive board of the Asociación Española Pro Sociedad de Naciones (AEPSDN), established in April 1920 (repeating as member in the new board appointed in January 1929).[16] He took office as member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences on 1 June 1924, reading La Reforma Agraria, a discourse replied by Eduardo Sanz Escartín.[17] During the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, Argente served as member of the National Assembly and the Council of State.[18] He died on 28 September 1965,[19] in Madrid.[3] References
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