| Show n n n nII II U II II IIi cli II a OOOO O OtoO to II II OtO o o tOtO tOW ill Midget of fot i 1 SWITZERLAND I C Giant of R e pub p U b 1 ics i C S O oc o o oo oooo o o A I Comm erce e U 11 H 11 U 11 n II K U II eli II 11 OtO O O O Oto O oso oso o oo the lire city of oC from which I 1 this Ihla letter letterIs I I W Is famous as one 01 of ot the Ih I illicit places IIA Ph I In Switzer Switzerland I land hand with Its ue beauty uty of ot I I location and attractive ar er It 08 not nut so much to lie br hold Its fill marj brIdged stream Its Us ar at ended streets etc cW ns nl to Und limed a centrally l spot pot i connected with other parts of oC the this republic by ly rail rill In which 1 I could observe tire the people and the tue of o 0 their heir system that lint I t came ame I hide I h bath d heart heard In III Paris that Ibal this pygmy republic of ot fla nil hl 11 i hilts an 51 area only that list of at the th flu and anti a population let less that of New cw York city elt Is commer commercially c orally daily speaking the lie mOlt moat highly eel devel developed portion of ot the th world orld Now one would not l lit be likely to of ot land with Its Iia Inland mountain situation without l anti and without fleets with no commercial marine and no special connections with other r coun tries tilts as os to 10 pos e H any nn great for foreign or eign commerce yet el the time latest statistics bear out the statement Bl that It can boast JIM of ot foreign trade trado per lr capita l is 18 every unit of ot population Is II credited with that lint amount which Is II wild said to exceed that I of ot any other country countr on the tilt globe not even teeming busy hUlY making such I eh a favorable showing Strictly speaking the Imports of ot this republic 3 mitt Inot year ear ar amounted to 10 n a I little more than titan and time till exports to about tl 0 or a total foreign commerce under No Re matter r what hat time the exports and mint Imports pori amount i ito to the public ll are always a n little last lat year Or tailing falling about Sg gOOi M below the receipts for tor the Ih fru frugal frugal gal Swiss practice economy In public as aswell I well velI aa as In private life Here JIre In Horns they the have almost reached the tho economic I millennium for the thus municipality owns ns such vast properties that Its revenue 1 not nol only onI oal suffices to 0 defray all public I e but l ut to supply all the honest with their winter fuel tuel and yield I a I surplus betides bedes L In Iii to pro viding for or them the Inhabitants of Berne let set aside hi ample provision for or their bears several live bruins bruina being kept kepI here hn In honor of the name and fig figure 11 figare are ure ur of a bear lJur which bits bs been lIen displayed fr fAI rA n the bl armorial bearings of th this toi toon toonA n nA nf A of ot economics is I that the tb Imports Im are ar vastly In lii ex ox cem of ot tilt the exports nail and the country countr is almost v wholly holly dependent upon IP n Its n nl bort for lot s a load good deal dal of Iti its food foodstuffs foodstuffs stuffs as II well wall 11 as n for or other either material Thirty per 1 r cent of ot the Importations are ar foodstuffs tul and more than 40 per cent I are raw material It 11 Is II this his raw mute mate I rial risk however worked up and amud exported e Ir Irv in 1 t I v ii 1 17 1 1 11 p raU J J II L I r oJ It I ki I I i 4 1 l c t 0 Z 1 In the tire hpe of at manufactured goods that turns turna the 1110 balance In favor of ot the tire Sates They can compete with the nn run tires of ot the very countries from which they Import Imparl time the tI crude nudo products rind and this Is owing to th their lr practice ot of rigid economy A 4 commendable feature tea lure of ot Swiss In Industries Industries U Is that lint they tire the do not aim so much to 0 produce largo large of ot cheap stuffs AS ns at excellence In manu manufacture facture and amud a reputation for or sending out the tho very er heat best This Is to so far tar as their textiles are concerned cOlle nw In Iii which cotton colton manufactures lend lead closely eloI fol tol followed lowed by embroideries and Bilks alike One anI of ot the time most prominent nt Industries ns as all the tho world work knows Is that of metal es ea especially especially in watches music boxes and minor articles of oC machinery The Che ox port of ot watches alone amounts to about mostly of at a cheap grade but this tile has declined ot of late ow owing owIn ing In to competition In n fact the whole a n decline of ot trade ratio as ns between Switzerland and the United States Stales since the termination of o the commercial treaty last Novem Noem November ber American goods having been sub subjected subjected to the general tariff of at this re republic republic public Some S me American manufactures however have hate shown n a slight Increase as a for tor Instance bicycles shoes and cast Iron Implements Formerly the United States used to supply the coun country countr country try tr with In rather large amounts and ruin lint even een now Switzerland takes Hour flour anti dried fruits In greater quantities than from any an other coun country country try Iry The Tire chief trade of ot this republic Is with Germany the United States rank rankIng rankIng Ing about fifth filth In III this respect with a total traffic raffle of about It U attention were Vere given to the question It U would probably be fount found that the thi apparent prosperity ot of Swit Switzerland is owing to tire the U family unit still being In which all the tire work workIng workIng Ing members ot of a n family are ore employed C t Ir tl J 1 rr I I I It f Parliament House 1 II r I 1 I B I IL L nJ tiT kV i I ih ihLi Li t I i s r rg rb I g r I II In special Industries or crafts cratts In which they th y are skilled In truth frugality And Industry are their watchwords and the Swiss demand the time same practice of ot economy econom In public as life lite I Although It was my lilY Intention merely I to call attention to the industrial tea lea features tures of o Switzerland I cannot avoid re referring reo I erring ferring to 10 an nil which has some seine sig significance not only In this Iris republic but butto butto I to the lie people of ot that larger republic across the ocean the United States Slates of or America On tho the let 1st st of ot August tIre the Swiss celebrate c tire tha anniversary of or their declaration of ot Independence The Tho let 1st letof of oC August 1291 1191 was the birthday of ot Swiss nationality when this the three mountain cantons of ot Url ami runt formed form 11 a perpetual league for Cor or protection Thu Tire covenant which they hey mode made Is still preserved 1 lucre hero In Berne and amid Is one ono of ot the time oldest documents of ot liberty extant the tho historians say IY ny The of at Switzerland Is known to 10 0 all nil men and Its prolonged Mil fight for tor I freedom which eventually won w n arid and re reo received the time recognition of oC Europe I con eon constitutes I a 0 bright ht page Ir it history hl tory It t Is III Isnow isnow now governed by the hit constitution of ot 15 ISH which Is that of ISIS itiS revised arid and I liberalized and represents tire the concrete wisdom of ot COO GOO years Under their lib hut liberal hutera I eral er era constitution tire the Swiss SWiM posses self government in its lis roost most democratic form tire the people of ot the lie different can cart cantons tons tone In mass meetings assembled elect electIng electIng electIng Ing their representative officials The legislative power Is vested III In on nn as ns embly composed of at two houses n a na era national council of t 17 members anti and a n council of states of ot U 44 numbers members both Chambers united being the he fed federal eral assembly The Tire executive power Is exercised by a federal council of at seven members elected by b the federal assem assembly bly bl presided over by b the time president of ot the thc confederation Even In politics anti and In national nf nC affaIre faIre Calra the tire economy Idea Idra Is III dominant the republic lle being governed by b the few fewest fewest fewest est possible and with the tho mini minimum minimum minimum mum of at expenditure The president of the tire republic for Cor example le who by the ho howay way Is elected Dec Jl i 1 each year tat for tor H n Hone none aOne one years term terra receives a salary of only SOO and ant the vice president nt anti and members of oC the council only ani 2400 each At Al the end of ot his hi term the lbs president Is usually succeeded by the vice Ice president crud and he lIe In la turn by some other member of at the time council Hut nut no official be he high low lou has the or dispensing of ex n patronage and no Incentive for tor prolonging his hi term terra of ot office omec except the honor of at It JAMES W IS V ETHERTON Berne Switzerland |
