The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1917-04-05


rule, Indicate the raWI.ty Of
progress in some of .hr South Amer
lean countries. q progress with which
f"w dw"Il,r- in North America are un-
quaihtrd. Uruguay. the least 81 the
independent South American nations.
Is III >olac RESPECTS The uo~, advanced
country on either OF The western con
tiucuIS
Tn" lowest pcrc"ntag" If poverty in
either of the Americas belongs to Uru-
gIay'S distinctions. The nearest ap-
proach to universal ci@ht-hOur day
in its Industries Of any country on the
American continents also is To be- found
in Uruguay. The charities of the Cuun-
try are administered by governmental
commission, which has a method of
reaching each individual caSe. The
little republic has Il public Insurance
system, owns Il large share IF the cIcc-
tric and power plants in tine principal
towns and plans Il sweeping economic
program that will bring every public
utility under government ownership.
Uruguay is tired of political parties
that Is why il ycarnS for commission
rule. 1t now has president ana Il
tW"-hUuSc congress. The representa-
tiyeS are chosen by direct vote every
four years, the senator's by electoral
vote. The two houses of the congress
elect the president, who serves four
years. \ permanent committee com
posed of two senators and five repre-
SentativeS takes the place of congress
during recess and assists and advises
the president on legislative matters.
In this respect, at least, the Uruguayan
congress is on the job more than that
of the United States. Under Uru-
guay's proposed commission plan both
the advisory committee and the preSi-
dent would be dropped and a commits
sion of seven men would rule, all of
them being constantly on the job. Each
would have SiX-ycar tenure of office
and all would he selected by congress,
whose powers would be greatly cur
tailed under the proposed rule.
Its Climate and People.
Gifted with the nearest to an ideal
climate 30 be found in the western
world, Uruguay has done much to de-
velOp its natural resources and 20
make life cOngcnial for its people. The
average temperature for the summer
is only ~ degrees and for winter is
30 degrees. AS q result of the highly
favorable climate the physical char
aCteriStiCS of the Cruguayan people
are remarkable. They are taller, finer
Set-up and have clearer compilations
than any of the other South American
peoples. There is less Of the Indian
In them, too, than in, any of the other
dwellers on the southern continent.
The country has fairly complete sys-
TEN of railroads, three of which are
guaranteed by the gOvernment-thatis Is,
Il certain net income IS assured TO
them each year. The country Is going
In for good roads very rapidly and
macadamized roads extend for about
forty miles outside of Montevideo, the
capital and chief city.
AS Uruguay has made efforts to at
tract a substantial type of immigra-
ton, the population is of diverse orr
gin. At present the Spanish and Ital-
ianS predominant, Spanish being the
language of the country. There are
several Swiss and German colonies,
however. The immigrants are closely
scanned, for the country wants none
that will swell its low rate of pauper-
ism. At one time the Uruguayan gov
eminent offered to immigrants not
only free land, but the means to pur-
chase the needed farm stock and i'm
plementS. However, the increase in
population has been so marked of late
years that no extra inducements are
now offered to new settlers.
Women Are Beautiful.
The Uruguayan women are said to
be more beautiful even than the wOm-
en- of Chile. They are more democrat
ic, more inclined to the new order Of
things than the women in most Latin
countries. Not I'm any other land are
to be found such splendid hOrsewomen
as those of Uruguay; they learn to
ride when children and they equal In
feats of riding the daredevil guachOs
of the plains.
The country is given over mostly to
NaturaIist's Eye and Ear.
Iobn RurrourhS finds entertainment