Bulgaria Exacts State Work-duty.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19241, 1 December 1930, Page 8

Bulgaria Exacts State Work-duty .

By Lady Drummond Hay. TJULGARIA’S “ National Labour Service/’ which has replaced universal military service in. that country, is voted a decided success, according to latest reports. The example of that little Balkan State, which passed a law in 1920, making it the duty of every able-bodied male citizen over nineteen years old, to labour one year for the State without remuneration other than his maintenance, in place of the former two or three years’ military service, might well be studied by other countries with large unemployment lists. The Bulgarian “ Conscript Labour Army,” if it may so be called, was 16,000 strong last year. It rendered the nation 2,370,000 days of labour. The net profit to the State is given as 146,231,000 Leva. New Highways. From this universal work-duty to the

® si in is is m is in @ i*] m I*l m @b in si @ ® si ® is m ii State, Bulgaria has increased its network of railways from 1180 miles to about 1900 miles. The draining of the Danube swamps at Caraboas, carried out by 5000 of the “ Work Army,” has added approximately one billion Leva to the national wealth of Bulgaria. During the last twelve months, 370 miles of new highways have been constructed, fifty-one new bridges built, and twenty-four bridges repaired. The law declares that the universal duty of every male citizen to give a certain portion of his time to the State is for the purpose of “ educating youth to practical life, and to intensify the sentiment for the maintenance, and increase of the national and sociological wealth of the State.” Also to help Bulgaria to recover from the disastrous effects of the war. Under pressure of the Entente Powers, who claimed to see in this radical step of creating a State Labour Army, a new Bulgarian Army thinly disguised, the duty of serving the State one year with work, was

reduced to eight months. Originally it also applied to all Bulgarian girls at the age of nineteen, but difficulty in finding appropriate work for them, caused that part of the law to be dropped. Suggestion for England. Only 30 per cent of the youth of Bulgaria is drafted each year. Provision is also made for those who gan afford to do so, to buy themselves free from such service. Last year, the sums thus received by the State, totalled 77,535,000 Leva. This Labour Army is uniformed, and has strict discipline. The moral effect upon youth of this training is declared to be excellent. Why should not England create such a Labour Army for public work from the ranks of unemployed, dole-receiving youth every year? The young men would learn to work, and the nation receive some benefits for the doles now paid to them from national taxes. (Anglo-American N.S.—Copyright.)