Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-21
The Communal Council.


Every German over twenty-five years of
age is to be entitled to participate in the
election for members of the communal
council when he has resided two years
in the colony, and the community can ex
tend this right to non-Germans (Boers
and Englishmen) who may, in its opinion.
merit it. The community is represented
by only one corporation. namely, the
communal council, which elects its own
president and conducts the administration
of the community. 1t Is left entirely in
the hands of the communal council to de-
eide whether the position of head of the
community shall be given to the burgo-
master as a professional office a s in Ger
many, or whether the office of president
of the council or burgomaster or schulthe-
iss, or whatever name the communal
council may elect to give 1t, shall be
post of honor in England. The natives
are included in the community. but have
not the right to vote. They have the same
rights and duties as whites, though they
exercise their rights through a species of
guardian. the commissioner of natives. 1t
may be supposed that this system of self
government will ultimately be carried up
ward. but nothing has as yet transpired
on the subject.
A remarkable book. entitled The Fu-
ture of Germany" by State Councillor
Rudolf Martin. has been published here
Councillor Martin points out that one of
the causes Of financial difficulties in Ger
many is the existence of the TWENTY-FIVE
different states, each of which maintains
its own government and many of which
support their own ruling monarchs. There
are twenty-five ruling monarchS in Ger
many. and the aggregate amount of their
respective civil lists is an enormous fnan-
cial burden to the country. Owing to the
fact that the individual states of the en-
pire maintain their own separate govern
ment. Germany possesses more than a
hi y,nf ,trot
spending proportion of government Off
Gals of lower grades, and their mainte-
nance involves Il heavy financial sacrifice
Councillor Martin maintains that If the
barriers between the separate states were
swept away. and if the federal character
of the German empire could be abolished
an economy of s25O,On0.0W per annum
would be rendered possible. so that the
financial difficulties of the country would
be solved at one stroke.
A Thrilling Motor Race.
The story of a thrilling motor race
across Abyssinia between German and
English promoters TO secure valuable
concessions from the Emperor Menelek is
told by Herr Arnold Holtz. the German
commercial agent, who recently returned
from Ads Abeda. Herr HoltZ states that
he won the race, and that the Emperor
Menelek has granted the following impor-
tant concessions TO the German syndicate
which he has organized:
The sole right to run motor cars
throughout AbySSinia
Right TO establish trading stations on
motor tracks, thirty miles apart.
Right to convey mails.
Right to build a wireless telegraph
plant.
Describing his journey, Herr Holtz
says: LAS. in my opinion, the economic
development of the country depends on
the construction of means Of communica-
ton. l laid before the Emperor Menelek
two years ago a project for a motor-car
service. but, through an abuse Of conf
dence. the project got into English hands
In December, 1907, l left Europe with a
motor car after l had formed a syndicate
of Germans which was ready to support
my plan of reaching the Abyssinian cap
ital by that means. At Jibuti. however l
learned ,,.at the English were ahead of
me- That was not pleasant. and still less
pleasant were the articles in the English
newspapers. which drew public attention
to my German enterprise and warned the
English to be on the alert
1.-The English motor car. whose driver did
not know the country, collapsed. whereas
l accomplished the distance of about 375
miles in six days. Menelek was delighted