Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06
THE SWISS PRESIDENT
Talk With the Head of the
Little Republic.
TRADE REL ITO N s
PLANNING TO RUN THE RAIL
ROADS BY ELECTRICITY.
A Country Where Telephones Are
Cheap-The Congress and
the Capitol.
TRADE RELATION
Copyright, 1902, by Frank G. Carpenter9
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Copyright, 1902, by Frank G. Carpenter9
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
BERNE.
| have just had an interview with the
president of Switzerland. He is the ma
tional representative of this little republic,
and as such ranks among the rulers of Eu-
rope His power is nothing like that of
President Roosevelt. The Swiss have a
more democratic government than ours and
they are more strictly republican. The
country is divided up into cantons or states,
and these cantons hold to their sovereignty
much more than as the states of our Union,
and they have released but few of their
rights TO the national government.
Switzerland has congress just as we
have. but its congress elects federal coun-
Gil of seven members. whose business it Is
to execute the laws. The council has to
large extent the same powers as our Presi-
dent and the president of the Swiss repub-
lie is only one of its members and it's pre-
siding officer. The council is elected for
three years. the president for one. He Is
chosen not by the ballot of the people, but
by that of the Swiss congress, and the con-
stitution provides that he cannot hold two
terms in succession. The president has no
veto. no appointing power, and he cannot
even nominate a man for any position. His
only distinction as regards the other MEM
beers of the federal council is that he gets
$500 more per year. and that he receives
the foreign ministers on ceremonial occa-
sions and is addressed as his eXcellency.
A Cheap Government.
You might think that the Swiss govern
ment would be an expensive one, inasmuch
as seven men are required to do what one
executive does In the United States. 1t is
not. The council acts about our cabinet
ministers. and. altogether, it receives only
about one-third as much as President
Roosevelt. Each member gets only S2,316,
and the Swiss president less than S2,700.
the extra $500 being for entertainment. This
makes a total of little over $4,000, or
not one-third as much as We annually pay
our President
The members of the national parliament
receive 81 a day for the time that they are
in session. with their travelling expenses
for the distances between their homes and
the capital at 3 cents mile. | doubt
whether there is any state in the Union
that is governed so cheaply, and am sure
there are few states anywhere governed as
well
But let me tell you about my talk with
the president. The man now in office Is
Joseph Zemp of Entlebuch. a little town of
about 5000 people lying in valley between
here and Lucerne. Mr.. Temp has been long
known as one of the leading statesmen of
Switzerland. He has served in the national
congress and as a member OF the federal
council again and again. and he was presi-
dent of the republic In 1895. He has offices
in the national capital. and it was there
that I met him and chatted with him over
the present condition OF Switzerland.
The American Invasion.
Shortly after the opening of our CONVEX
sation l asked as to the American invasion.
and whether it might not be increased for
the benefit of both countries. The Swiss
hot ha 70
see closer trade relations between the two
republics. He said that Switzerland re-
CARDS the United States Its younger and
greater sister. and that the spirit of democ-
racy ought to bring even closer together.
He spoke OF the Swiss who were living in
the United States and of the high estima-
ton In which they held our country. He
objected to our tariff as being too great on
many of the Swiss exports. and Thought a
mutual reduction might be made in the
interest of international trade
asked him to the Swiss tariff meas
ures which are now before the country
but he would not prophesy whether they
will be accepted or rejected.
The question as to government control of
railroads came up. and / asked President
Temp what he thought of 1t. He replied:
1t Is so far only in Its experimental
stage as regards Switzerland. but believe
that 1t will be complete success. Our gov
eminent is taking In the railroads We have
and we shall In time acquire the remainder.
We do not want to make money out of the
railroads, nor by them to increase the gov
eminent revenues. We are operating them
for the good Of the people. The earnings
Will be applied to improving the service,
extending the lines and to cheapening trans
portation. This We are now dong, and we can
continue to do 30 and at the same time
make such a profit that the whole cost of
the roads and the Interest upon the debt
viii be paid back within sixty years. and
the roads then belong to the government,
free OF incumbrance."
Railroads to Be Run by Waterfalls.
President Zemp told me something as to
the extent Of the roads. There are now
about $500 miles Of rails and 200 miles of
tramways. One OF the queer propositions
In regard to the lines Is to run them by
electricity. AS now constituted the roads
require $1,000 horse power. and 1t Il esti-
mated that double that power VIII be needed
for a hlgh-tenslon alternating electric cur
rent system.
The engineers have already figured upon
IL. and they find that there are twenty-o
waterfalls In the Alps already used for
electrical generation. which can produce
5000 horse power. The engineers estimate
that It would take 100000 to apply this
power to the railroads. and that In addition
u could run numerous factories.
At present Switzerland Is operating her
roads with coal brought in from England
and the continent. She Is thus entirely de-
pendent upon outside countries. and II her
Foreign coal supply was cut on her rail-
roads would stop. The matter Is a very i'm
portant one, and understand some of the
parties Interested have applied to the gov
eminent for the right to build an electric
standard gauge railway twelve miles long
for experimental purposes. This win prob
ably be granted. and. II a success. 1t may
be that the waterfalls Of the Alps VIII haul