The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
TAXES FIVE CENTS A YEAR,
That's Only One of the Queer Things About
the Republic Of Andorra.
From 'ho Boston Transcript.

From ihe Boston Trnnscripf
There are no footprints Of time in the ro
Iitical. social or commercial sense on IA,
placid surface OF the most interesting co,,,.
try. considering It's size. Of Europe A ,,nr
republic SGT In the midst Of empires ia
character, customs and boundaries IN.
changed In six centuries Andorra even !,
this age OF universal publicity. has ESCAPED
notice altogether. Few tourists have ever
heard Of 1t Fewer still have passed within
Its not inaccessible boundaries The d,
couraeed seeker for a political ana economic
paradise has overlooked entirely this eN,raor
binary survival OF a more primitive ago
For at first siyht, this diminufive State
hidden away In the shadow of the pyrenee.
Is political paradise indeed. Corruption
and of. cial scandal are unknown within ns
staidlv republican government Dreams OF
empire do not keep its statesmen awake Of
NIGHTS Indeed, It has no army nor even A
snrle soldier. The country has never been
1t debt and the citizens are rarely ta,ed
Crime is almost unknown. as also money
worship and all forms Of envious rivalry.
Nobody In Andorra suffers from poverty and
everybody Is as happy as King And there
Is not modern Improvement from one end
OF the little state to the other. plainly the
Andorran situation is worth looking into.
Long ago peaceful and fruitful little
valley country. lying between the Spanish
province of Lerida and the French depart.
ment OF. Ariage-i amounts in all only to
SIX hundred square miles was made into
state. Some believe that CharlemaRne him
sell was the author of Andorra's being: others
of France. At all events. in 1918 the s,n
erainty of the little country was divided be-
Counts Of Folk in France Though the rights
OF the Counts of Folk were later made over
70 doI ne French government, this system OF
ana mas preserved Andorra from destruction
The machinery OF government that has
s AnGeqr. Tor 80 mn n5sr centuries to keep The
country is divided into twelve parishes each
headed BY two consuls and several conn.
sperntes in f% force hndorTs Rsso s or
fcers are chosen by the heads of families,
rather than by popular vote.
Council Of Andorra, which meets twice nyear
and whose hos; function it Is to elect the President
EErenob' and Spanish is little complicated.
Andorra s send ZACH DELEGATE
sentative in the herr rep p bic - Ds 'S repre-
The most agreeable feature Of the local
administration is that there is so little of it.
poted By sw and sJsas e"e OF A.
R}eais, alternately appointed by the princes
Act Of aMy is eewea nfn se c "S
and which are short and simple by reason
81 the hf s5nndard Of virtue the
been considered necessary to have prison
in the republic. Such sentences as are meted
only twice in twenty years has Andorr,
sent delinquent to the French pentential
o As for the national finances there pr,c,,.
cally is none. The Presidents salary Is s.:
essy year and 5bsre the 5eoeye "c
20 mi 10 nG hn
from their pasture lands. the average ndi-
vidual tax Is five cents year. In some years
ease the i Gdsd among AND ,h IN h
So are croEers and peverSs ~ They Wouii
What, is the secret OF it ALP Simply that
the Andorrans have never eaten of the tree
ed sbnt hsIa It xsos d to
have not CHANGED in six centuries. but such
Is the case Shut in as they are by Pyr-
oe Ah He a o
This ide,l republic save by a mule path. and
proachable from the French side. The couI-
try t., as innocent Of carriape roads as IL is
Of r1 \ Or public sapitati9n and sewer
It is OF the. most occasional nature. and 50
ant. are lliteTate Of letters sD music s and
art they are cheerfully ignorant. and are
conscious Of no lack Thus r there are
nally. there is postal service. but this IL
az unreliable as its administrators are non
.patched from the capital OF tho State to
deliver letters to their proper destination,
put 1t is only now and then. But what need
he We the Andorrans for correspondence? Thew
have no business relations with the world
81 railroads. automobiles, newspapers stock
,Rn nd III ca ana r 9 th
Units Of .Andorra.