The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-09-21
A LAND OF MANY LAWS
Germany Has an Abundance
IOf Legal Restrictions.
DRUG STORES LIMITED

thecaries--Strangers Have to
Register at Police Station-NeWs-
paper Sights to the Emperor Pun
ishable by Fine and Imprisonment
A correspondent writing in the Chi
cago News says: The law keeps close
track of everybody who comes into Ger
many. Strangers must be registered at
the police station, at the latest within
three days after their arrival i'm any
place, so that If the police have occa-
sion to want them, they will know
where to look.
Wage earners are Obliged to have re-
ports, amounting to recommendations
which each of their employers must
sign and which every new employer
may, and generally does. ask for. This
is custom excessively hard on both
parties concerned.
The law requires that employers and
employees give each other notice of
full months time when either intends
! to discharge or to change his position,
as the case may be. Hasty discharges
must be paid for by the employer.
Everybody knows. of course, how ex-
traordinarily careful people must be in
| speaking or writing about the emperor.
An insult or derogation Is punishable
by q fine and Imprisonment. Editors
must be on the constant guard, but as
it Is impossible for them to be respect
ful under all and any circumstances,
they not infrequently find themselves
in trouble. And in order that the right
person may be punished If there be any
such occasion, all publications bear the
name and address of the one response
BILE for the contents.
The railroads in Germany have been
owned by the government since the
years Immediately following the
Franco-Prussian war in 1901. At that
time It was found difficult to transfer
the troops and to prevent another such
situation the government took over the
management of trains, so that 1t could
have every train at its disposal in case
of war. 1t has succeeded wonderfully
well in this undertaking.
The German government controls
/ drug stores | was a good deal shocked
to learn this coming from a country
where almost any man can settle down
| in peace in almost any business he may
/ choose. Far different Is 1t with Ger
man druggists, and far different has 1t
been, too. for several centuries. The
government decides the location of the
drug store, and does it in this way:
/ For every 10000 people in each city
there must be a drug store and for
every 1000 people in the country. There
is similar kind of arrangement in re-
gard to chimney sweeps. whose wages
are paid them by the government out
of special tax fund. These particu
lar drug laws apply only to Prussia.
/ The other divisions of Germany-Ba-
varia, Wurtemburg and so forth-have
other but similar, regulations.
The Prussian laws are exceedingly
| numerous and complicated. After the
prospective druggist has passed his ex-
animation, he must obtain a concession
| from the government to open place
/ of business. There is a great variety of
concessions, too. When a man has
/ opened a new place he must keep his
books in good order for inspection, Az
]
| over to the government specified per-
centage of his profit, year by year, ac-
cording to his concession. The govern
ment also fixes the maximum profit
which a druggist can make on various
goods.
But what are the objects and results
OF all this? The fundamental object is
the security of the people, the second
ary object, security for druggists. For
the profession Is not dissatisfied with
all these laws and all this government.
On the contrary, the United German
Druggists Association is very decided
ly In favor of It, The business, which
very easily becomes overcrowded, is
kept in a normal condition. The Ger
mans have observed in other countries
that free competition in this as in other
lines lowers prices. By restraining the
freedom of druggists, the profession is
made secure, because when there is
only one drug store to 10000 persons
the owner is sure to be kept busy, and
as he is protected in demanding profit
all his colleagues are doing the same
as he--he is assured of a livelihood.
But the public, generally at the mercy
fraud and eXorbtant charges cannot
be made. Every community, too, is
sure Of having drug store.
The "Cop,lpo Matiopv