Evening star., 1902-03-15
MONACO IS A MODEL
A Country Run by a Joint
Stock Company.
THE NATIVES LIKE IT
EVERYBODY CAN WORK WHO
WANTS TO.
Fascinations Of the Gaming Tables and
the "Hush up
Events.

1t Is the only country in the world en-
tirely free from all taxation.
It Is the only country In the world that,
having no constitution nor internal civic
rights, desires none.
And 1t Is the only country in the world
ruiz by a joint stock company.
1t is this latter fact which explains the
others In theory, the Sovereign Prince
Albert l, succeeding to his father, Charles
Ill continues to reign over Monaco as his
ancient family Of Grimaldi has done for
more than 1000 years: In fact, the "Societe
dei Bains de Mer ct du Cercle des Etran-
gers Monaco" Company Of the Sea-
Baths and the Strangers Club at Monaco,.
succeeding to the original concession
granted M. Blanc in 1861 is now in posses
sion of a new contract which hands over
to 1t, with the right to operate a public
gambling establishment. the right to pay
the country's full expenses.
The contract indeed is an iron-clad one
IN many respects onerous to the company,
binding 1t to the most detailed expenses
and guaranteeing to 1t but one thing-the
gambling monopoly. Were the present
prince in more Independent financial and
political situation, he might still reign over
MS country-and the company to boot; but
taking things as they are, 1t is the COM
pany, with its astute financiers and states
men, that Is making Albert l the Euro
pean sovereign the most beloved by his
people and his state the best administered,
perhaps, in all the world.
What the System Is.
How the thing works will be seen In the
marvellous growth Of that part Of Monaco
Monte Carlo called the Condamine. Glanc-
ing at the photograph of the principality
taken from the Eea Gone photograph takes
!. all I'M, 1t is seen to consist Of three
parts-the old town Of Monaco, high on the
rock, the ancient stronghold of the Grim
aids; modern Monte Carlo, with it's YER
uIe-embowered villas and casino, high up
and just across the little bay; and lying
low along the curving shore between the
two, the town called La Condamine where
the prince (pardon, the Casino Company
built Santos-Dumont his balloon shed
Before the year 1869 the Condamine was
nothing but a collection Of orange, lemon
and olive orchards. with violet farm un-
der the cultivation Of Rmmel, the Paris
perfumer. At that date the present COM
pany was already in possession Of all Its
privileges and actively engaged in stirring
up improvements. Wisely keeping it, as a
corporation, out of such speculative works
the companys managers began founding
new joint stock companies for each inn
pToVement. The stock was, naturally all
divided up among the fortunate stockhold-
ers Of the original close corporation; the
original corporations managers managed
the new enterprise, so that all the plans
fitted In together according to the pro-
visions OF the master mind Of NJ. Blanc;
and still the gambling corporation was kept
out Of all land speculation.
One of these new companies took I'M the
exploitation Of the orchards of the Conda-
mine. 1t bought up all the land, much of
1t from the then Sovereign Prince Charles
III himself, constructed streets, planted
them with regular rows Of trees. built q
modern sewer system and a whole fine
town with business streets and streets Of
villas, small fiat houses for the epoorer fam
lilies and small independent houses for these
slightly better off.
The Town Grows.
The town rose as by enchantment. From
the seashore it stretched to the mountains
foot; and now 1t Is crawling up the noun
tain, CHEEKY, prosperous, Immediately
clean town. inhabited not by the rich. but
by the middle and lower middle classes. and
not so much by cosmopolitan outsiders as
by the born subjects Of the principality.
More than half La Condamine population
still pays rent to the company while the
other half has bought its stores and dwell
ings on easy payments, which, neverthe-
less, netted the company many hundred
per cent clear profits: And as 1t was with
the Condamine. SO 1t has been with La
Turbie, the Garlic Cape, Monte Carlo itself
and each of dozen towns near by on eth
er side. A special company has In its
charge the Improvement of the port Of
and-pinion railway up the mountain to the
heights OF La Turbie. Another company
has the contract for cleaning the streets
and burning the garbage in the most COM
plete establishment Of its kind in Europe
And still another company has just com
pleted an electric street car system which,
while very satisfactory. startles the visitor
to Monte Carlo in more ways than one
To give an Idea of the rising prosperity Of
Monaco under this intelligent company
rule, in 1869 there were but two hotels in
the prncipality, where there are now forty
eight. In 1878, when eighty private families
renting apartments to visitors. 1t was
thought to be sign of great prosperity.
Today there are over GOO such In Monte
Carlo and the Condamine together. In 1878
there were three jewelers., where there are
now fifteen: one florist, where there are
now sixteen. and eighteen renters of car
riages, where there are now ninety. In
Monaco land which twenty five years ago
could have been bought for ten cents
square yard now sells for $50 a square
yard; while at a distance of fifty miles
from the Casino sandy soil which in 1869
was not worth $25 an acre is now selling
for 10000!
Has Slice From Every Pie.
Just how much the princes Of Monaco
have had to do with all this Improvement
is a question that is often debated by out
siders; and the truth of the matter will
probably remain unknown for a long time
to come. The father of the present prince,
the celebrated Charles III. who gave the
original gambling concession enjoys.
among the native population. the posthum-
GUS reputation of a great business man in
general and that of 'the father of the Con-
damine" in particular. He certainly took
great interes: in all the improvements-to
the point of demanding stock in all the
companies. And thus far, at least, the son
has followed in his fathers footsteps. lie
has had his slice from every pie cut-includ-
ing the new electric tram line, which has
Just been obliged to raise its rates in order
to pay the dividends it's stockholders desire
from it 1t is the first example in history.
perhaps, of a street car company raising,
Instead Of lowering, transportation rates
already well established. And the way In
which it was able to do this points to the
secret of the success Of the whole company
government.
Whether or not the princes of Monaco
have been enterprising business men their
sovereign rights over the territory have
peculiarly aided its business-iike exploita-
tion. In any other country a street car
company would nowadays be bound to
carry people at the original rates set down
in it's charter. Indeed. the wonderfully
serviceable Metropolitan Underground OF
Paris which has not yet paid a dividend
aft er more than two years of the most pros
porous business In the world, has openly
said Of 1t that its stock can never rise to