The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-24

per capita for it's government than any
other in Europe. Last year the govern
ment expense alone was more than $23-,
900, 00O-almost S. per capita I'm the
gcantons there Is a tax OF six and three
quarters per cent on incomes Of $3.50
year. AS the income increases, tho rate
of taxation grows.
The Swiss army is a joke to every one
but the citizens Of the republic. There
is no exemption from military service
The executive branch of the Swiss gov
eminent Is vested In q Federal Councsi
composed Of seven members; they a'e
elected by Congress and serve for three
years. They choose one of their own
number for President of tho republic.
In the Swiss Parliament there are l67
Representatives and forty-four Senators.
A canton is entitled to one Representa-
tive for each 10000 population, and each
canton has two Senator's
Use Of Referendum.
Government ownership of railways has
has never been popular In Switzerland.
When 1t was proposed by the Socialists,
six years ago the Conservatives invoked
the referendum to defeat 1t. Twice the
referendum was used before the people
acquiesced In the government purchase.
Now that the citizens know that they
are to give SIS, 900, 900 for the st. Goth
ard tunnel, when it will hardly pay ex-
pense OF maintenance, they have become
decidedly FESTIVE. They would prefer
that the German and French capitalists
build their own tunnels and stand their
| own losses
It is the hotel-keepers who stand
back of tho government control. AS
an organization they support the gov
eminent project; it enables them to
operate the roads and arrange tho
tariffs in their own Interests.
Some OF the Alpine tunnels arc great
fcats Of railrouding science; they arc
about all there is to Swiss rnllroadlng.
The lines are short and the rolling
stock is hardly equal to that OF the
| German lines. 1t would not be toll
Grated on an alfalfa road In the West
The whole enterprise Is IL puny one
| II. Il. Huntington controls more miles
of electric railway in Southern Cali
| fornia than tho aggregate mileage OF
! the government-owne steam lines III
Switzerland,
Making an Issue out OF Federal rail-
roads In Switzerland is about equal
| to raising tempest In q teapot.
Last summer the Swiss government
attempted to increase the revenue OF
It's steam railways by placing a heavy
a boomerang The chief thing 1t ac
| complished was u session extrnordi'
nary Of Parliament to repeal It. II
/, place of paying the automobile llcens,
! tho tourists simply rode around swift
zerland and Went on to Germany AM
Italy, This gave the hotel-keepers
/ violent attack OF hystoria. Now th'
government Is very, very good; thu
tourists can drive their machines III
and down the front steps Of the CAPT
4 to II they will only come back.
A Land Of Diaries.
Outside the cities Switzerland is 4
land of dnires Every square foot o
| pasture In the republic Is utilized. TN
Swiss shepherd hoy has given place t
4. the urchm who minds tho COWS. Their
| arc few fences on tho Swiss farms
A fences take up valuable ground. TN
cattle Craze alongside tho corn, an.
a tho herd garcon is there to keep then
4 from passing to the forbidden ground
saw scores OF these herds grnzinl
on the mountain sides as / rode froi1
| Basel to l3ernc.
soon found that the Pacific Coas
isin profitable market for the produG
of these Swiss diaries. i talked to som
Of the dairymen about the public own
&, ership OF railways t MS only Il chanc
shot, hut 1t proved bllll's,eye. The,
not only protested that such polio