The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-10-04
Belgium the Most populous Country in Europe.
THIS Is THE EFFECT OF GOOD LAWS.

THIS Is THE REJECT OF GOOD LAWS.
From Medfil's Letters to the Chicago Tribune.l
Belgium is only q small patch of territory,
containing barely 10, 400 square miles but on
this little area there is supported in com fort
and independence 5,4OO, 900 soulsl Can your
readers realize that, on o space not exceeding
one-ffSh that of Illinois there is concentrated
the populations of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
and Minnesota But such is the fact. Belgium
supports one hundred families to the square
mile.
England, which contains one city of 3,ooo.-
from 200, 900 to 100000 each, is less densely
populated than Belgium by 100 persons to the
square mile. And what is still more singular,
England. which boasts of her scientific and
perfect system of landlord and tenant cultiva-
ton, scarcely produces half the bread or meat
consumed by her population, but imports four
millions of tons of breadstuffs, and three mill
lions of tons of fresh and salt meats, cheese
food per annum whereas Belgium, which con-
tains Is per cent more inhabitants to the square
mile, imports scarcely q pound of breadstuffs
or pound of meat, but actually exports more
food than she imports. Not only does Belgium
produce sufficient food for her population, in
Guiding barley for the manufacture of beer, of
which large quantities are consumed, but she
grows nearly enough sugar beets to supply her
people with what ''sweetning" they need and
in the mountain districts of Ardennes grapes
enough are grown reproduce a considerable
This dense population is attributed to the
breaking up of large estates into small farms,
to the removal of restraints on commerce, Civ
ing the people the benefit of free trade, and to
cheap transportation brought about by the
Government becoming competitor with pri-
vate enterprise in transporting merchandise.
The example and success of Belgium is an in
teresting fact for the American people.
There is now no hereditary land monopoly
and no idle land in Belgium. Not an acre is
devoted to deer parks, pheassntries or other
sporting purposes. for the enjoyment of luxu-
rious and dissolute aristocracy, while masses
of men are starving for bread. As I travel
through Belgium, see swarms of men, women
and children cutting down and gathering
harvest of grain and grass, where the wheat
will yield thirty to forty bushels per acre, the
two and a half to four tops per acre while
the ensuing product of flax and root crops
potatoes and beets-wili be beyond American
conception of possibilities. The strawberries,
red raspberries and gooseberries brought to
market, while not superior in flavor to those
sold in Chicago, are twice or thrice as large.
These enormous yields of agricultural and
horticultural products are not in consequence
of better soil and climate than in America, but
are the results of heavy manuring, deep plow
ing and spaang, subsoiiing. and UNDERSTANDING
when required, irrigation when possible,
watchful hoeiug and wedding, free use of guano
and other fertilizers for top-dressing, and care
ful harvesting and storage of crops, whereby
nothing Is Wasted, fost OF al,owed to rot IN
was adopted or thought of until the land be-
came the property OF the cultivators of the
soil, and the relation of landlord and tenant
ceased to exist.
The price of land in Belgium ranges from
$500 to $1,000 per acre, and fair average
would be from $500 to $500; but there is very
little offered for sale. Most of the sales take
place in cases where rich manufacturers or
bankers want country seat or, more fire.
auently, where the older heirs purchase the in
terests of the younger ones,-the latter taking
\ 81 "a g,
surprising on how small a freehold patch of
ground the Belgian peasant is able to raise a
family in comfort, and supply all their reason
able wants. Of course they realize high prices
for every article they have to sell,-about
double what an Illinois farmer gets while
they purchase all their storegoods for less than
half of what the western farmer must pay for
his supplies. Ownership of the land and good
prices for the crops the incentives which
make the Belgium farmers strive to make the
earth yield its utmost production.
The foreign commerce of Belgium is immense
for SO small a country. Last year the imports
amounted to $3.50, 100000, and the exports to
S250,o00,000. Like the British, the Belgians seek
10 have" balance of trade" against themselves
as that proves they receive more property than
they send abroad in exchange for it. Hence
the "baiaDce of trade against them measures
their clear profits; at least they think so; and
by pursuing that course steadily for thirty OF
forty years past, they have become rich, in
spite of the adverse balance of trade"
The revenue of the government for 1873 was
$3s 900 600, and the total expenditure So, 6oo,
900. The surplus was applied in payment of the
national debt, which now amounts to S1S3, 000.-
0U0-the interest on the same being 81, 200, 0CO.
The Belgian debt consists of two parts-frst,
the portion of the Dutch national debt, which
they obliged to assume after obtaining
their independence, as adjudsed by the Great
Powers; second, the amounts expended for the
construction Of State railways and tele-
graphs. The former or Dutch debt part
amounted to S97 500, 900; the later, or cost of
the railroads. to $126, 600, 900; total 1923, 00O,-
Belgium is one of the nations which are liqui-
dating their national debts, or whose revenues
are greater than their expenditures.
w. c. SHEPARD 81 Cove take pleasure in
directing TO the advertisement of old and