The Washington times., 1902-10-19
COURTS AND CAPITALS
OF THE OLD WORLD,

CUUKlS AND CAPllAlS
OF THE OLD WORLD.
King Edward has entered into COM
petition with his great nobfes in the
business Of selling dairy and farm pro-
duce. Indeed, the aptitude he has dis
played for business since he succeeded
to the throne has been revelation to
all those who up to the time of his
accession were accustomed to regard
him merely in the light of genial, If
somewhat blase, man of pleasure. whose
only object in life was to dispel his
ennui.
During the reign OF his mother, cat
tie, sheep. pigs, etc., bred and fed on
the royal farms were consumed by the
royal household or given away, and the
same practice was followed in connec-
tion with dairy produce, fruit and game.
The King has put stop to this. The
cattle and sheep bred and fed on the
farms at Windsor and at Sandringham
are sold to dealers at the highest prices,
none being retained for the royal house.
hold. 1t Is the same with the vegeta-
bles and dairy products, and there Is
practically nothing that appears ON the
tables Of the royal palaces, with the
exception, perhaps. of hothouse fruit
and flowers, that has not been purchased
at the most economical price possible
from the warrant holding purveyors OF
the royal household.
The economy effected in this way al
most passes belief, and, for fthe first
time since their origin, the royal farms
at Windsor, magnificent institutions
which owe their origin to King George
III. and which we're extended and remod-
eled by Queen yictoria's husband, are
beginning not only to pay, but to yield
handsome profit.
There is no waste in the royal estab-
lishment, and when the court Is at
Windsor. groups of poor people, young
and old. carrying bags and baskets, and
duly accredited with tickets from the
local clergy, are seen vending their
way along the north terrace of the castle
to the kitchen doors. In Queen VIC
toria's time everything cooked for the
royal table, no matter whether touched
or not, became, after being once served,
the perquisite Of the servants; anu IL
was the same way with wines. The
moment the latter had left the royal
cellars. no matter whether uncorked or
not. they disappeared, the servants tax
ing possession thereof, not as gift.
but as a matter of right. for which they
considered that they owed no gratitude
whatsoever.
Let me add that, although the num-
ber of servants of the royal household
has been cut down by at least 40 per
cent, the splendor of the English court
today is at least so per cent greater than
during the reign of Queen Victoria.
In thus placing his court on busi-
ness like basis, in which he has re-
ceiyed the most efficacious assistance OF
his master Of the household, the ex-
banker Lord Farquhar, King Edward has
merely taken a leaf out OF the book OF
his nephew, the German Kaiser. The
latter. although he runs his court on an
Infinitely more magnificent scale than
the old Emperor, who carried economy
to the point of wearing the shabDiest OIL
uniforms, nevertheless manages to ac-
complish everything at about nall the
expense which his grandfather was call
ed upon to foot.
The old Emperor's name seldom
appeared at the head of any charitable
subscription list. and then only LOT
small amounts, whereas the present
Kaiser is munificent in his contributions,
his Offering to the fund raised in Paris
for the relief of the sufferers OF the
volcanic disturbances in Martinique De
ing an illustration. Yet his expenditures
are much less than those OF the founder
of the present German Empire.
This is merely because the Kaiser has
applied strict business principles to the
MANAGEMENT of his court and househoid.
AS in the case of King Edward. all the
produce of his farms and estates Is so!d
either In the open market or to dealers,
while everything needed for the impe-
rial table is purchased from the pur-
veyors. Indeed, nothing Is more ire
auent during the game season than 10
find bucks, wild boars, etc, displayed
in the markets or in shop windows Oh
Berlin with a piece of cardboard sur
rounded by laurel or holly leaves on
which is an intimation to the effect that
the animal In question has been shot
by his majesty the Emperor.
The imperial household, in fact. 1s
run very much on hotel basis at ber-
lin. 40 much being rated head per day
for people taking their meals at the
Kaiser's table, so much for those at the
marshaTs table, and so much for the
servants. 1t is, perhaps, not very royal.
but II serves to avert that terrific waste
which was formerly one OF the prin-
cipal drains on the purses of monarchs.
King Victor Emmanuel has instituted
similar reforms at the court OF the
Quirinal at Rome. where. without any
diminution of luxury or splendor. the
court is run on much more business
like and economical basis than under
the reign of King Humbert.
Since Prince Rudolph Liechtenstein