6i4 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



bers of all of which were directly dependent upon the federal coun- 

 cil, which could appoint, control, and, on occasion, remove them. 



' Certain promises had to be made in the law to satisfy different 

 regions having extensions of lines in view that their works would not 

 be neglected. The most important of these extensions was the 

 Simplon Tunnel, which the Jura Simplon road was just about to un- 

 dertake, and in which French Switzerland was deeply interested. 

 The law pledged the confederacy to complete this. The eastern 

 cantons had extensions and passages of the Alps in view, and pro- 

 vision was made for these, a special guarantee being given to St. Galle 

 for the construction of the Ricken line. To meet expressed fears 

 that the secondary lines, if not cared for by the confederation, be- 

 coming unprofitable, would be abandoned, a stipulation was inserted 

 providing for their purchase in the future without the necessity of a 

 new referendum. The act as finally adopted by the chambers was 

 regarded by those in favor of the purchase as a happy compromise 

 which would rally all parts of the country to the support of the great 

 national measure. The adversaries of the scheme regarded it as a 

 great deal, intended not to improve the plan but to gain votes for it 

 and make it acceptable to a coalition of interests. But it is certain 

 that the object sought by the majority was obtained, and the amend- 

 ments silenced the most active of the opposition. Party discipline 

 was also brought to bear against dissent, and all the radical left except 

 one deputy voted for it on its final passage. The majority by 

 which it was accepted was further made up of the extreme socialistic 

 left, a part of the center, and a small fraction of the left. The oppos- 

 ing minority was made up of the larger part of the Catholic and 

 federalist left and a part of the liberal center. 



The enactments relative to service on the railways make Swiss 

 citizens residing in Switzerland alone admissible. The term is three 

 years, and all in the service, together with the members of the 

 administrative coimcil, the general directory, and the arrondissement 

 directories, are removable by those who appoint them. 



A pension and assistance fund for the officers and men employed 

 is provided for, to be kept up, half by the contributing members and 

 half by appropriations from the management fund ; its statutes to be 

 established by the federal council. The existing pension and assist- 

 ance funds may be continued if thought best, but their members can 

 not at the same time be members of the general fund. 



In a message accompanying the submission of its project to the 

 federal chambers, the federal council presented as a first argument 

 in its favor the saving it would effect of the time, labor, and abso- 

 lutely useless expenditure involved in carrying separate transactions 

 between five different companies and in maintaining their several 



