PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1956, 20 August 1891, Page 36

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Switzerland.— ( Continued.) PARTY POLITICS.

In the nature of things there can be no such thing as party politics in Switzerland as we understand the term. The Referendum, the Initiative, the variety of tongues and dialects, and the election of a Federal Council, which does nob represent any particular section, and the members of which act as patriotic commissioners and not as professional politicians — these all prevent the formation of the two distinct parties that exist in British Parliaments It isn't a question of one side being in and the other side wishing to turn it out. Here, however, as in all communities of mixed religions, the Catholics give a solid vote upon any question which may clash, however remotely, with their religious feelings. But though there are no Ministerialists and Oppositionists the chambers are divided into sections — the Right, the Centre, and the Left. The first is also known as the clerical party, be 3a use it is entirely controlled by the priesthood. It is subdivided into the Ultramontanes, or Fervents, who generally come from country districts where the priests are better able to work on their prejudice', and the Moderates, who are elected mainly by city electorates. The Centre is composed of Moderate Liberals, who make a study of economics and are followers of the Manchester school — men who believe in freedom of contract to its full extent and in Freetrade. They are naturally the friends of financiers and capitalists. The Left, which numbers in both Houses or Chambers as many as the Right and Centre together, includes Liberals, Radi-. cals, and Democrats, the last really red-hot Socialists. In the past it has been foremost in all struggles against all privileges, the ohurch, and the aristocracy. A short time ago the Left adopted as its political programme :—: —

1. Extension of labour legislation. 2. General compulsory insurance against aiokneus, aooidenta, and deaths; also against damages c&ußed by hailstorms, the latter being for the benefit of the peasantry. 3. Federal monopolies for bank notes, tobacco, matches, playing cards, the manufacture and Bale .of spirituous liquors, and railways. 4. The development of elementary eduoation, and gratuitous distribution to_ all scholars of school books and writing materials.

Did they ask too much ? Take the first point. John Bright years ago spoke strongly against labour legislation whether in, refer? ence to age, sex, or hours. He upheld the Laissez-faire system — translate the term as "let alone" system, and you have what it really meant. Carried out fully, as it was for some time, after the introduction of steam and machinery, it resulted in cheap labour. Children were then taken all over the country in batches. Many of them were sent to the mills at the age of five or aix, and made to work 12 or 16 hours a day under the cruel whips of overseers. Even yet parents and employers have to be taught " that children are not chattels, but human beings with rights of their own which no one can violate for his or her pleasure or use." An English M.P-. about three months ago tried to pass a bill to prevent the employment of children in factories under 11, after the Ist of January 1893, and failed though he made exceptions. The Swiss are ahead of us, for no child under 15 can work in a mill or public workshop. Compulsory insurance is practically the law of the land in Germany now. As for Government monopolies, they exist everywhere. The British Government in India has a monopoly of salt ; so has the Italian ; Switzerland makes and sells liquors ; Germany controls its coal mines ; Spain, tobacco manufactures; France, matches; Victoria, railways, and also grants a percentage of books and slates free ; most countries, post and telegraphs, and so on. This is a digression, however, but it shows that the Democrats are not asking impossible things. I shall now direct your attention to the

COMMUNES.

A Swiss commune is an assemblage of individuals and families having common interests. It may be rich and large or poor and small. It has its local police; takes care of all . orphans left in the district ; manages the affairs of those unable to look after their own affairs ; takes care of its poor ; erects its own schools and pays its teachers ; has a certain number of beds in the canton hospital ; watches over the fields, pastures, and forests held for the benefit of all— in fact, it is a self-governing community as far as it is possible to be, as a portion of a canton and an atom of a confederation. From its forests eaoh family has a right to a certain amount of wood annually on payment of a certain sum ; bub foreigners — those belonging to any other commune or country — pay an extra tax. Each boy and girl going to school contributes a piece to the school fires. The taxes levied include a compulsory insurance premium on houses above £5 in value. Every inhabitant in a commune must have his address at the police office and his papers, in order to show that he is really a member of the commune, contributing to its taxes and sharing in its advantages. If he removes to another oommunehis papers must

be shown, and if not satisfactory he is sen* back whence he came, for no commune has any idea of supporting any paupers but its own. This effectually stops the influx of mere tramps or foreign refugees without means.

A canton is a bundle of communes, and its council has a general supervision over the little communities that form it, and in the same way the Federal Government supervises the cantons.

JUSTICE.

Judges are elected by the people for a term of four years. The salary is not high, yet the candidates are numerous, for the position is looked upon as one of .high honour. Of course there are certain requirements demanded from candidates. In civil suits the judge calls together the disputants, and acts as a counsellor and arbitrator. If he does not succeed in bringing about an agreement between the two parties^ the suit proceeds. In the first stage no lawyers are allowed to take part, and the judge; generally a man of tact, is able to settle a large proportion of cases without legal assistance or witnesses.

ONE MAN ONE VOTE.

This system is in full force in Switzerland, but sensibly modified under certain conditions. Paupers, those who have not paid their taxes, drunkards who have been prohibited from frequenting public houses for stated periods during which civil liberties are cancelled, those guilty of serious crimes, and, at times, bankrupts, are all debarred from voting. I think we could with benefit apply similar restrictions to univeral suffrage in New Zealand.

THE ABMY.

The military importance of Switzerland is out of all proportion to its size. Anyone master of it can threaten Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland. In consequence of this it was agreed in 1815 to guarantee its neutrality and inviolability. For ages the Swiss have been noted for sterling military qualities, and they have often formed the body-guards of foreign potentates. Between 700 and 800 fell fighting in the defence of the Tuilleries in 1792. In the Peninsular war and at Waterloo, Britain had Swiss legions. As late as the Crimean war the Swiss became hired mercenaries, for two legions were recruited for the war. They, however, got no further than Smyrna, and Baw no active service. The Swiss can throw in the field over 200,000 men, which cost the nation but £7 a head ; while the British army costs £64 10s a head, and is even then " a conglomerated mass of unconnected atoms," incapable for the most part of taking the field for a week without exposing the inoapacity of its organisers.

EDUCATION.

The Swiss have one of the finest system* in the world, and ungrudgingly spend large sums in securing good healthy sites and in erecting fine buildings. Education is compulsory, though ifc is not necessary to send children to the public schools. But if a parent neglects to teach his children at home, they can be taken, from him and placed under the control of others. In some cantons there are regulajly-paid inspectors, but in Zurich, -the most advanced canton of the Confederation, the inspection is done by professional men, pastors, or persons,, of influence ' elected by the citizens. There are no pupil teachers in Switzerland, and in a school with several teachers there is, no head master, all haying equal authority/ In rural districts the holidays, some eight or ten weeks in the year, are fixed according to the harrest, vintage,Jor ( tourist seasons. Technical education is widespread. There are watchmaking, silk-weaving, wood-carving, gardening, dairy, farm, and other schools; and in additions, lecturers visit the schools and give short courses of instruction on fodder-grow-ing, cattle-breeding, horticulture, and so on.

I have given but a tithe of the interesting information contained in the book referred to, but what mostly concerns my young politicians has been glanced at. In several respects Swiss laws are to us, peculiar, but to me they seem full of common sense.