968 BELGIUM 



spirit of prudent half-measures, which is the Belgian way of meeting difficulties. The 

 working-day in mines has been reduced by law to nine hours, or at most to ten hours If 

 absolute necessity for it is recognized by royal warrant. The Government is also 

 empowered to reduce the normal hours of work in unhealthy trades (Law of December 

 31, 1900), wide discretion being left to the executive. 



A new law, regulating mines in general, was the outcome of the discovery of coal- 

 seams in La Campine a district lying in the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg. The 

 fact is important both commercially and politically, for it will bring a great industry, 

 so far confined to the Walloon country (the basins of Liege and Hainaut) into Flanders 

 itself. The old Napoleonic law of 1810 was recast on June 5, 1911 ; State intervention 

 was carried further, and no women may now be employed underground. The same 

 regulation was applied to working at night, which women are now prohibited from 

 doing in factories, (Law of Aug. 10, 1911). Of coal 23,916,560 tons (metric) were 

 mined in 1910, and of iron (the production of which was greatly decreased), 122,960 

 tons. In 1911-12 an important new coal-field was being opened up in the Campine. 



A law passed June 5, 1911 (and amended May 5, 1912) dealt with old age pensions 

 for miners. Wage earners at the age of sixty, whether natives of Belgium or foreigners, 

 can claim lod. per day from a fund raised partly by the workers themselves, partly by 

 contributions from employers and the State. 



The arbitration boards called Conseils des prud'hommes, for settling disputes between 

 employers and men, have been reorganized under a law passed May 15, 1912. As these 

 are elective bodies, political considerations are apt to intrude in their composition, and 

 on that account proportional representation and compulsory voting have been introduced 

 for them, along with a bolder innovation, women having votes and being themselves 

 eligible. The Tribunaux de Commerce (commercial courts for settling trade disputes) 

 are also elected by those whose interests are involved; there are 14 of them in the 

 country. Judges in Belgium are appointed by the Government, whose choice is apt to 

 fall on men of its own political colour; but the Presentation system (Art. 99 of the 

 Constitution) to some extent restricts the selection, for the councillors of the three 

 Courts of Appeal are nominated from double lists of candidates presentd by the 

 Provincial Councils and by the Courts themselves, while Councillors of the Court of 

 Cassation are nominated from double lists presented by the Senate and by the Court. 

 The Court of Cassation deals only with points of law in cases brought before it, 

 questions of fact being referred to other courts (Art. 95 of the Constitution). 



Among recent legislation, mention may be made of the Law of Nationality (June 

 8, 1909), modifying certain provisions of the Civil Code, which is still the Code Napoleon, 

 revised only in certain respects. Birth on Belgian soil confers the rights of citizenship, 

 under given conditions, even upon the children of aliens. This return to the jus soli 

 is a new infringement of the long dominant principle of affiliation. A law for the 

 protection of children (May 16, 1912) defines limits at which the patria potestas ceases, 

 and establishes " children's judges." Minors brought before the courts can be handed 

 over to institutions ad hoc, and kept under surveillance and discipline, instead of being 

 subjected to ordinary punishments. 



Languages. The language question looms large from time to time in the history of 

 Belgium. The first half-century of national independence was marked by a French 

 reaction after the " Flamandisation " policy pursued under the Netherlands government 

 ( 181 5 to 1830). A counter reaction, not yet spent, tends to magnify the political impor- 

 tance of the Flemish element. Flemish is put on a so-called equality with French in the 

 secondary schools, by the Law of May 12, 1910, which inclines to treat French as a 

 foreign tongue in Flemish-speaking districts and vice versa. In practice, the importance 

 of this law is discounted; for firstly, in the city of Brussels and its suburbs the choice of 

 the principal language is left to the parents; and secondly, the law naturally is not 

 enforced in the voluntary schools (Scales libres) which flourish so largely in Belgium. In 

 these French predominates as before. There has been some talk of " Flamandising " 

 Ghent University, either wholly or in part, but so far nothing has been done. 



