The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-02

Where the Greek Parliament meets
Every modern Greek Is n stntesmun.
In the parliament. This is different
from our Congress in that there is only
/ one house, known as the boule This
has 235 members, one being elected for
every 1900 Inhabitants. The kingdom
is divided into seventy-one dictricts
ana the congressman are elected by
| districts The elections arc usually
! held upon Sundays. the ballot boxes be
ing kept in the churches In Athens the
chief voting place is the cathedral,
the ballot boxes being arranged in
row along one side of 1t. The boxes
are SO iixed shat only one man can
pass through to vote at one time. The
DON Is foot square, with a pipe hole
In its top about big enough to admit
the arm Of a man. This runs down into
the middle of the box. where 1t meets
a partition. which divides the box in
hai1. On one side of the partition go the
affirmative ballots, and on the other
the negative. The ballots are buckshot.
and the voter. having put his hand down
into the pipe. drops his bullet for
or against the candidate as he pleases,
! without the possibility Of any one
knowing just how he votes Each voter
is given only as many buck $ hot as there
are candidates, and the Judge sees
mat he has only a single bali in
MS hand when he puts 1t into the nine
OF the box There are also other means
OF preventing frauds in elccta ons.
and each candidate is usually pres
lent to look out for his rights
| The term Of the members Of par.
Lament is four years and the,. re-
ceive salaries Of about saeo or 500 ner
session They are allowed free passes
on The railways
Parliament makes all the laws and
votes all the money to run the gov
eminent. 1t is ruled by a speaker. who
IS erected by ballot. The new mem
bers are sworn in BY priest and are
| sprinkled With holy water during .ho
ceremony. At one session no, long
ago some members grew aHEr, and
scutc ensued. during which an ;n,,
| bottle was thrown into the holy water
basin. d1scolorins the fluid provided for
ne opening ceremony. Upon another
occasion the speaker Of the house
| tearing adverse legislation. locked the
doors and refused to let the opposition
| IN whereupon locksmith was called
and the speaker showed out OF the way
/ am told that considerable lobbying
! - done ana that great deal Of money
| is spent on elections. The candidates
nave 10 treat the voters and one Of
! them recently said that his election
expenses averaged about SIS per voter .
rate much less than that of ADAMS
/ county, Ohio. One way OF the con
ciiiat.ng the public is bY acting as god
| father to ba bics. and II is said. thar
| one statesman here has thousand
godcli!dren y change Of admnistra-
| ton means change Of offices. The ap.
| nointments are made on the old Jack
sonian theory, ITO the Yictors belong
| the spoils."
! When new government is elected
the old clerks lave to leave, and this
Is so Of school teachers and college
| professors, as wail ms Of the libra rians
and officers of tho museums
| I'rnm Athens to Paris by Rail-
! Just now one OF the questions which
| is aEitating the Greeks is the build
Ing of railroad 10 connect the system
here with the line which runs from
| Paris &c Constantinople. Greece has
| IN the nciShborhOod of nine hundred
miles Of railroads. 1t has some which
| 50 to the northern boundary and which
| by ali extension of less than SIXTY
| miles could be joined 20 the great Paris
trunk line. ! am told IL would not
cost moro than SS.o00,o00 to make the
| extension. and that both the great
powers Of Europe and tho sultan have
approved OF It's construction. 1t Is de-
1aEed however, for fear of military
| troubles. When ii Is completed il will
! have a great influence upon Greece II
! VIII probably change the through fas,
i route 10 India which now goes III
! italy and Brndisi to this road 10 TIE
tlracus The mails will go that way
and the passenger travel as well. The
people are excited over the possthili-
ties, and the money for building the
line could probably be raised with3n,
difnculty.
| Chances for American Trade.
! In the operation Of this road tbcre
I IS no reason why American locomotives
should not be used. The country IS
| mountainous and our railroad engines
arc said to be the best for such regions
Americans arc popular here. and il
might pay our locomotive companies
10 investigate the situation.
| Speaking; OF American machinery.
/, am told that the people arc beginning
10 use II. American sewing machines
are popular and our BICYCLES bring he
hiShest prices. see some American
reNoINers and also arms made by the
HeTmanS TO initiate American arms and
sold as such. AS to agricultural ma
chincs' me farms are small and the
most OF the implements are similar 10
those of he days Of llcrodotus.
Mathematics for athens.
otnei openings might be found in
| supplying Athens with water. The
city often suffers from drought and :
II Is now. 1T is about the busiest town
| OF the Orient. The streets are m,ca
damized. and the roads grind tho metal
to powder The soil is thin and the
aust Is white -four which pcrmmea to
everything. II covers your boots 10
such an extent that Son have TO have
them BACKED several times every day
and this has caused Athens 10 bavs
| more bootblacks than any other town
of its size In the world. The water
now comes from reservoir on Mount
Lykabettos. but the supply is no.
sufficient. and they are now talking OF
utilizing the falls Of the Styx, which
arc long distance away the scheme
/ proposing an expenditure to something
| like S1,000.000.
/ The Draining Of Lake iopa,s.
| Another enterprise which is already
| under way and largely successful Is