Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-26
Mr.. ROYALL RETURNS
HE AND HIS WIFE BACK FROM THEIR
EXTENDED TRIP ABROAD.
Nothing to Disclose About the Debt-Shy
OF American Invcstments-Labori in
England and France.

No man on Main street yesterday re
ceived more cordial handshakings or was
more heartily greeted than Mr.. William l..
Royal, who appeared on Virginia soil
again after two months visit to Eng
land. France, and other European coun-
tries.
Mr.. Royal looked the picture Of good
health. and his smiling features were well
Offset by glossy silk hat and light suit
OF clothes. He crossed the Atlantic on
the Servia and reached New York Monday
but with true domestic impulses hastened
TO Richmond. His wife, who had been on
the trip with him. accompanied him home.
Mr.. Royal. who has for many years been
counsel here for the foreign bondholders,
was seen by DISPATCH reporter late In
the evening and asked if he could give any
news concerning the State debt and the
negotiations now pending with view to
its settlement
DON'T LIKE AMERICAN INVESTMENTS.
know of nothing of interest concern
ing this, said he in reply to the reporters
question. that ! am in position TO di-
vulge. The English public generally is
very little inclined towards American in
yestments. The disastrous results that
have come from South American invest
ments have produced a very bad impress
sion in London concerning all matters on
this side of the Atlantic. Whether
naturally or unnaturally, the public
confounds US to some extent with
South America. That is one cause for
what I might style almost an aversion to
American investments. In the second
place, I have found that the unsatisfactory
state IN which our public debt rests casts
very black shadow over everything with
which Virginia is connected. 1t may be
that my relations were mostly with those
who have lost so much money through
tho Virginia debt. but certainly every
body with whom | talked business were
dlslnclined to discuss any enterprises IN
Virginia"
LABOR WELL PAID THERE.
Tell me something about your trip,
Mr.. Royall." said the scribe.
What must talk about?" asked he:.
Anything" repliedl the reporters l
know what you say will be interesting"
was very much surprised" said Mr..
Royal, when he found there was no escape
from the interview, Ito find labor so well
paid es it seems to be in England. Of
course | made no attempt at investigating
all branches of 1t, but as far as my inquiries
went the farm laborer seemed to be as well
paid as ours; the hotel employees seemed
to be as well paid as ours. and the cab
driver was "a we'll paid, and when you con-
slider the fact that everything they buy is
far cheaper than our laborers pay for what
they get it seemed TO me that these
classes we're better paid than correspond
ing laborers here.
THE PEAsANrRY IN FRANCE.
1.-THE French laborers are certainly not
III aI - ~ X
ening to travel through France and see
the condition of the peasantry. The
whole country is dotted with little houses
that look like dog kennels, and farmers
field is very little larger than my desk on
which you write.
1T is very curious TO see the effects still
prevailing through the country of the
ideas of the Revolution. The calendar
then adopted blotted out the Christian
Sabbath. dividing the year into twelve
months of thirty days each and five days
for festivals.
Every tenth day. called by them the
decadi, was day of rest. The restoration
of religion accomplished by Bonaparte
did not bring back with il in its full vigor
the Christian Sabbath; consequently you
see men all over France working as dill
gently on Sunday as on Monday, Tuesday,
or Wednesday. 1t Is somewhat shocking
to one VINO mas llNeu III tuIlStiau couu-
try TO see factories and other concerns IN
full blast all over the land on Sunday.
WORKING on THE SABBATH.
MAKE no mistake aboutithis," added
Mr.. Royal this is going on. every Sab
bath-day ali over France. But to return
to the French laborers. was informed BY
Frenchmen who seemed well Informed
that the ordinary farm laborer sees meat
only once a month. France is a country
with protective tariff; England is coun-
try with free trade, though L do not. OF
course, mean 10 say that the superior con-
dition of the English laborer is due en-
tirely TO free trade.
"A notable thing connected with the
French is the absolute stop TO progress IN
population. They have just completed
the national census, which shows a falling
off in all the rural districts and very
small increase in the cities. The peasant
does not marry now until nearly forty and
three children are considered large
family by them.
THE BEAUTY OF FRANCE.
France is beautiful country and ex-
o,iisiteiy titled. bat there are no fences.
and the fields are about the size of one
auarter of a Richmond city square.
II suppose" added Mr.. Royal in con-
clusion, THAT the population Is able TO
live on what they get by being taught by
experience to live on next to nothing"