664

BELGIUM

There are many private or free schools — infant, primary, and adult schools, mostly under ecclesiastical care ; besides, 1908-09 83 communal industrial schools, 24,372 pupils, 71 communal and 195 free professional and commercial schools, 26,083 pupils.

Each commune must have at least one primary school. The cost of primary instruction devolves on the communes, with subsidies from the State and provinces. The total sum spent on elementary education in 1909 was 54,312,000 francs.

The proportion of the population above seven years who could not read or write at the census of 1900 was 22 "1 per cent. ; in 1890, 28*8 per cent. ; in 1880, 33-2 per cent. In 1911 of the 65,424 young men called out for military service, 5,066, or 7 '74 per cent., could neither read nor write ; in 1890 the corresponding percentage was 15*92.

Justice and Crime.

Judges are appointed for life. There is one Court of Cassation,, three Courts of Appeal, and Assize Courts for criminal cases. There are 26 judicial districts, each with a Court of first instance. In each of the 222 cantons is a justice and judge of the peace. There are, besides, various special tribunals. There is trial by jury. The Gendarmerie (3,353) and the Garde Civique (46,563) are used for the maintenance of internal order.

Criminals sentenced : —

-

1905

1906

1907

1908

1909

1910

Assize Courts . Correctional Tribunals

97 43,110

88 46,806

72 47,194

60 45,718

92 44,712

65 47,913

The mean number of inmates of the various classes of prisons were : —

Central prisons Secondary ,, Reformatories^

1905

1906

1907

753

3,648 1 184

746

4,009

190

745 4,189 i 168 '

1908

1909

734

4,175 142

1910

738 I 740

4,165 3,633

144 136

1 The figures show only the number of children in the correctional branch of the State charity schools annexed to the Ghent central prison.

Pauperism.

There are numerous private charitable associations, but the only public charity institutions are refuges, depots de mendiciti, hospitals, and the bureaux de hienfaisance, under the Communal Councils, while the provinces contribute to maintain certain classes of hospitals, refuges, or almshouses, and asylums. The communes must furnish assistance to their paupers. The charity institutions received in donations and legacies 4,450,647 francs in 1910 ; Outdoor relief is provided under certain conditions. Statistics of d^pdts de mendiciU for the reception of beggars and vagabonds

(adults) : —