964 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 



Bill, which nearly upset the Stiirgkh administration. The catastrophe was averted 

 only by the personal appeal of the Emperor. The difficulties of the situa- 

 ^ on were accentuate d by the serious misfortune that befell Count Stiirgkh, 

 la 1912. who was threatened with blindness (May 15, 1912), and it was therefore 



necessary to appoint an acting Premier in Baron von Reinhold, the Minister 

 of the Interior. After much negotiation, the Army Bill was passed, and the crisis 

 averted. The outbreak of the war in the Balkans in October 1912 turned attention to 

 matters of foreign policy, and the internal strife of factions flagged in consequence. 



Economically the year 1911 was one of fair prosperity, chiefly because of the two 



successive good harvests (1910-11). The total volume of trade was large, though 



. manufacturers and traders complained that the margin of profits was inade- 



Sociaiand quate, owing to the continued high prices of food, and the remarkable rise 



Progress. in rents in most of the large towns. In consequence of these burdens on the 



working classes the Socialists organised a demonstration in the summer. 



The crowd became so threatening that it was necessary to order a cavalry charge. When 



the House met the incident was discussed, and during the sitting a man in the gallery 



fired at Dr. Hochenburger, the Minister of Justice. 



Commerce was favourably affected by the various commercial treaties passed in 

 1909 and 1910. The treaty with Servia came into force on January 24, 191 1, and put an 

 end to the long tariff war. Austria stood to gain chiefly by the importation of slaugh- 

 tered cattle from Servia. These would be supplemented by the exportation of cattle from 

 Bulgaria, by the treaty which came into force on April 22, 1912. With Montenegro 

 likewise a commercial treaty was ratified on March 4, 1912. 



As regards social legislation, the only enactment of importance was the law (June 

 3, 1910) forbidding night-work for women, according to the terms of the international 

 agreement of Berne. It came into force on August i, 1911 (in the case of the raw sugar 

 industry it will take effect in 1914). 



Hungary. In Hungary the prolonged political crisis of 1909 came to an end on 

 January 17-18, 1910, with the succession by Count Khuen-Hedervary 1 to the Premier- 

 ship. His Cabinet was one of moderate views, yet when the House met 

 TheKhuea- (j an . 24, 1910) it passed a vote of lack of confidence in the new ministry 

 Cabinet. by an overwhelming majority. The Premier replied by adjourning the 

 House for eight weeks. The time was utilized by the establishment of the 

 " National Party of Work," under the leadership of Count Tisza. It appealed to the 

 nation for support, pointing out that it was impossible to realize the demands of the 

 Independent and Kossuth parties, seeing that the Crown would never agree 

 The National ^ o ^e Hungarian word of command, and that an independent Hungarian 

 Work. Bank had not sufficient credit. It was necessary to form a party which 



should bring about harmony between the Crown and the people, and make 

 possible a constructive policy. On March 2ist the House was recalled to be dissolved, 

 and the violent conduct of the members of the Kossuth and Justh parties, followed 

 by street rioting by the Social Democrats, disgusted moderate men still more. 



On March 22d the House was dissolved, and when in June the new elections were 



held, the Government received a large majority 246 seats out of a total of 413, whereas 



the Independent Party in its two sections received only 85. Consequently 



of 1910* the Hungarian Parliament was able after a long interval to get legislative 



work done. The House was opened on June 25, 1910, and the speech from 



the Throne referred to " the most urgent and immediate task of regulating the suffrage 



question anew." The Government promised to introduce a bill " on the basis of univer- 



sal suffrage, which while being in full consonance with the unity of the 



Suffrage. national character of the Hungarian State will yet be in accord with the 



demands of the development of democracy." Other measures that were 



passed included a bill sanctioning foreign loans and the Census Bill. 



1 Count Caroly Khuen-Bclasi-Hedervary, born June 23, 1849; entered Parliament 1875; 

 Ban of Croatia 1883-1903; Premier 1903 and again in 1910. 



