The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-02-19
LUXEMBOURG Is AN
INTERESTING STATE
Englishman Writes Entertain,
ingly Of One Of Europe's
Tiniest States.

Reginald r. Brckley, in T. P.'s Weekly.
One knows the charm Of those king
doms OF romance, wherein hero and
heroine n common people ft In with
a life Of beauty and adventures; where
neither lion nor unicorn fight for a
crown; and only love rules. Such a
Rurttania Is described In Luxembourg:
the Grand Duchy and It's People," by
George Renwick. Whether 1t is really
q kingdom Of cupid one does not know.
But certainly 1t Is organic. And 1t Is
upon a sort of federalism that Europe
has been built up; while all her woes
and wars have come about through the
idea Of conquest and aggrandisementI
Luxembourg Is just a little smaller
than Cheshire, Its population abou
that Of Edinburgh. Take your map and
find 1t, pointing its moral to its three
neighbors, Belgium, France and Ger
many. AS to government, the grand
duchess dominates the Is members of
the upper house. There is q chamber
Of 4S MEMBER. elected for six Years,
half being returned each three years.
The executive is a sort Of cabinet OF
four, including the grand duchess
These are responsible to parliament
There are also 13. cantons, or counties.
each under a justice OF the peace
There are two departmental courts.
ope at Luxembourg city and the other
a. hlAAs SOhlN ~ oppCI ~
at the capital. Burgomasters are ap
pointed by the government, Indeed
one has a curious combination Of pop
ular control and conferred authority.
This is instructive to those whose
minds are so obessed that they assume
that votes and intelligence are twins.
Education and Industry.
Mr.. Renwick's fine book may he read
for various reasons; for, its romance of
history, as an enthralling holiday plan,
but in these winter evenings as a social
study. In this small area there are
500 primary schools, in which educa-
ton IL compulsory. The religion Of the
country is Catholic, but a generous toll
GRAFTON exists, which the author puts
to the credit of the grand duchess, a
woman comparatively young; but of
rare personal charm first rate abil-
tty. There are TOO adult schools" and
three splendid high schools, the, n at
the capital having industrial and edu-
c~atlonal sections. At Esch-on-Al2ette
is a school of industries, while at Ell
telbuick an agricultural training col
lege exists. Not only teachers, but
artisans are trained and brought up to
date. The result of all this is that
poverty does not exist In. an acute
form. Glass distinctions are reduced
to perfectly natural social preferences.
All are free, able to work, and work
is provided for them. Ia
The Land Question.
When Mr., Renwick wrote that pow
erty practically did not exist, I was
abolishing 1t; controlling the indus
trial system, and providing free train
ing, land and equipment for agricul-
ture. Otherwise there, always must be
a fringe Of artifcially produced loafers
and unemployed, half-starved persons,
49, AL-
dercutting in every trade. In Luxem-
bourg this is precisely what has been
done. Here Is the statement Of an au-
thority: 'S ~
ut would be absurd to think that the
best can be got out OF, the land unless
those who work it are properly trained
and can have, when It is' necessary, the
most up-to-date advice On every pos
sible point. We endeaVor to live up to
those two maXims. If a mans land is
poor we put 1t right for him; If he
wants stock we obtain 1t for him from
the best sources. and provide him with
1t at the lowest possible figure, giving,
wherever required, most liberal credit.
The advanced state Of agriculture
shows that the policy is highly sue
cessful, and It's progress Is Of enor-
nous value to the country and to the
people. We pay great attention, too,
10 afforestation; yet, as you know, the
bCGAl6Iy III ouT lulu OlLlll IOSGG IlOll
OF its natural charm-does not look
in the slightest degree made" or ar
tiicial."
Education, both agricultural and gen
eral, is cheap. A further source Of
social we'll being lies in the succession
laws. On the death OF the father all
land and money is divided among the
family (male and female equality. And,
what is more to the point, the legatees
are in the habit OF working so that II is
Of use to them. Nor are there large,
u~ndeveloped estates.
An Historic Glimpse.
Mr.. Renwtck traces his history from
pre-Celtic times, up to'the Charlemagne
period, to the domination Of Louis OF
France, the over-running by the Span
iards, and the occupation OF the Dutch.
An Europe, Teuton, Latin. Anglo
Saxon alike. swept against Luxem-
bourg like a tide. And like a tide they
receded. From the Tenth to the Fiji
teenth century ran the line of Sieg-
friend. Wenceslas / was the first Duke
Of Luxembourg. ! have not had time
TO probe the matter But from, Mr..
IRenwick's account, 1t IS fairly safe to
say that all that is noble n right
about the Duchy today springs from
feudalism. Fior Luxembourg is the one
place in Europe where the unity OF
state and family have endured, together
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