Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/700

BAVARIA. rates on the transportation of agricultural prod- ucts, machinery, and manure, in establishing agricultural banks, in improving the breed of domestic animals, and in opening agricultural schools. That all of these measures have helped to bring about a decided improvement in agri- cultural methods is shown by the enormous in- crease in the use of agricultural machinery in the last decades.

The chief crops in 1900, with the areas devoted to them, were as follows:

Products R.ve Wheat.... Barley.... Oats Potatoes Hay Hops Acres 1,377.539 791,706 776.0;i2 456,1.52 890.6:15 578,920 l,18K.«9i 759,245 828.778 4,101.958 3,190,936 6,214,795 91,899 21.782

Besides these crops there are raised many in- dustrial plants, such as tobacco, beets, and rape seed. There are more than 50,000 vineyards, occupying an area of about 56,000 acres. The vine-growing industry is, however, largely con- fined to the Palatinate, and shows little progress. Bavaria is one of the largest cattle-raising coun- tries of Germany. The breeding of live stock is conducted with no less care and intelligence than the raising of grain, and numerous State studs are maintained for the purpose of improving the breed of horses.

The forests of Bavaria cover an area of about 6,250,000 acres, or about 33 per cent, of the total area of the kingdom, of which 49 per cent, belongs to private persons, 34 per cent, to the State, and the remainder mostly to the com- munities. The annual income derived from the forests through the sale of timber and the rent of grazing land amounts to about $8,000,000.

5f.Ni'F.CTTi!ES. Bavaria is the largest beer- producing country in the world, and its beer has a world-wide fame. The output increased in the twenty -year period of 1880-99 from 310,000,000 to nearly 470,000,000 gallons, while the output of the Empire increased during the same period from nearly 1,025,000,000 to about 1,840,000,000 gallons, so that Bavaria produces over one-fourth of the total beer output of Germany, Comparing the output with the population, Germany pro- duces only about 130 quarts of beer per head, while Bavaria produces more than 300 quarts. The textile and metal industries are developed to a considerable extent. There are also some large tobacco-factories, tanneries, and chemical-works. Among other important industries is the manu- facture of earthenware, glass, agricultural im- plements, machinery, leather goods, and wooden articles. There are many establishments devoted to the polygraphic processes.

Commerce and Tbansportation. The chief article of export is beer, the quantity exported annually amounting to over 50,000.000 gallons. The railways of Bavaria, having a lengtli of more than 4000 miles, are mostly owned or controlled by the State, only about 14 per cent, being in private liands. The navigation on the Danube, the Main, and the Lake of Constance is very active.

GovEBNMENT. In its form of government, Ba- varia is a constitutional monarchy, the crown being hereditary in the male line. The Constitu- tion of Bavaria was adopted in 1818. It has been modified since. The kingdom is perfectly- independent in its internal affairs, having com- plete control of its army in time of peace, man- aging its own transportation and communication facilities, and the collection of revenue for its separate budget. It has embassies at the courts of a number of countries. The executive power is vested in the King, wlio is assisted by a responsi- ble ministry of six members, and advised by a State Council. The legislative power is shared by the King with the Parliament (Landtag), which consists of two houses. The Upper House, or Chamber of Coincilors of the Realm, is com- posed of 13 princes of the royal family, 3 crown dignitaries, 2 archbishops, the heads of 19 noble families of the realm, 1 bishop, the president of the Protestant Chief Consistory, 25 hereditary members, and 17 persons appointed for life by the King. The nunil)er of life members must not exceed one-third of the hcreditai-y councilors. The president of the Upper House is appointed by the King. The members of the Lower House are elected for six years. The voting franchise is restricted by a property qualification. The Chamber of Deputies elects its own president and vice-president, and its sanction is necessary for almost ever_y measure relating to the financial aft'airs of the realm. It enjoys the riglit of ini- tiative to a considerable extent. In the Imperial Bundesrat Bavaria is represented by 6 members, and in the Reichstag by 48.

For purposes of local administration Bavaria is divided into eight circles or Government dis- tricts (Regierungshe^irhe), subdivided into ad- ministrative districts. In every Government district there is a Landrat, consisting of reprc- .sentatives of the districts, the towns, the landed nobilit)y, the clergy, and the university, if there be one, all elected for six years. The budget of Bavaria is fixed every two years. According to estimates for 1900 and 1901, the budget balanced at 432,919,989 marks (over $100,000,000), against 345,356,505 marks ($85,000,000) in 1896- 07, The revenue is derived from public works. Imperial repaJ^nents, and indirect taxes. The chief items of expenditure are on account of administration, of the Empire, and of the pub- lie debt. The debt amounted at the end of 1899 to 1.400,173.215 marks (about $360,000,000), of which 1,115,000,000 marks ($278,000,000), or nearly 80 per cent,, was railway debt.

Education is free and compulsory, and provided for by the State in a generous manner. There are three universities (at ilunich, Wiirzburg. and Erlangen), a large number of secondary and special schools, and about 7400 elementary schools, with an atteiulanee of about 830,000, or over 13 per cent, of the entire population. Population. The population of Bavaria was 5,284,778 in 1880; 5,594,982 in 1890; and 6,175.153 in 1900. Over 70 per cent, is Roman Catholic, about 21 per cent. Protestant, less than 1 per cent. Hebrew, and the rest belongs to various Christian denominations, such as Old Catholics, Mennonites, Reformed Anglican, The capita! is Munich. Other important cities are Nuremberg, Augsburg, Wiirzburg, Furth, Ratis- bon. Bamberg, Bayreuth, Erlangen, Speyer, Schweinfurt.

. The Celtic inhabitants of what now constitutes the southern part of Bavaria were