British Architects in 1906; he received that society’s gold medal in 1902, and three years earlier was awarded the Grand Prix for architecture in connexion with his artistic services at the Paris Exhibition.
COLLIER, PRICE (1860–1913), American writer, was born
at Davenport, Iowa, May 25 1860. He lived, while a boy, in
Switzerland and England. After studying at Leipzig and at the
Harvard Divinity School (B.D. 1882) he became a Unitarian
clergyman, but retired from the ministry in 1891. He is best
known for his clever sketches of national character in America
and the Americans from the French Point of View (1896); England
and the English from an American Point of View (1909); The
West in the East from an American Point of View (1911) and
Germany and the Germans from an American Point of View (1913).
He died on the island of Fünen, in the Baltic Sea, Nov. 3 1913.
COLLINGS, JESSE (1831–1920), British politician, was born
at Littleham, Exmouth, Devon., Jan. 9 1831. He was partly
educated at home, and also at Church House school, Stoke, near
Plymouth. In 1866 he settled in Birmingham, where he founded
the mercantile firm of Collings & Wallis, and had a highly successful
business career. Entering municipal life, he was intimately
associated with Joseph Chamberlain, whose devoted henchman
he became. In 1878 he was elected mayor of Birmingham, and
in 1879 retired from business. In 1880 he was elected as Liberal
M.P. for Ipswich, and during this period became prominent as
an advocate of the Radical land policy, known as “three acres
and a cow.” In Dec. 1885 Lord Salisbury’s Government was
defeated on an amendment to the Address concerning this policy,
moved by Mr. Collings. In 1886 he entered the Liberal Government as parliamentary secretary to the Local Government Board,
but resigned with Chamberlain over Gladstone’s Home Rule
policy. The same year he successfully contested the Bordesley
division of Birmingham as a Liberal-Unionist. In 1895, on the
appointment of Chamberlain to the position of Colonial Secretary in the Unionist Government, Collings became under-secretary to the Home Office, retaining the post until 1902. He
resigned his seat in Parliament in 1918. He was always interested in agricultural affairs, and was the founder (1872) of the Rural Labourers’ League and also of the Exminster industrial school.
In 1906 he published Land Reform, in 1914 The Colonization of Rural Britain, and his Autobiography, written in conjunction
with Sir J. L. Green, appeared in 1920. He died at Edgbaston, Birmingham, Nov. 20 1920.
COLLINS OF KENSINGTON, RICHARD HENN COLLINS,
Baron (1842–1911), English jurist and lord of appeal, was born
in Dublin Jan. 1 1842, and educated at Trinity College, Dublin,
and Downing College, Cambridge. He was called to the English
bar in 1867 and joined the northern circuit. He edited the 7th,
8th and 9th editions of Smith’s Leading Cases, was made a Q.C.
in 1883 and a judge in 1891. In 1897 he became a judge of appeal
and a privy councillor, in 1901 Master of the Rolls, and in 1907 a
lord of appeal (resigning in 1910). In 1899 he represented Great
Britain on the tribunal appointed to arbitrate in the boundary
dispute between British Guiana and Venezuela; and in 1904 he
was chairman of the commission which investigated the case
of Adolf Beck (see 14.287) and resulted in his conviction being
annulled. Lord Collins died at Hove Jan. 3 1911.
COLLYER, ROBERT (1823–1912), American divine (see 6.694), died in New York City Nov. 30 1912.
COLOMBIA (see 6.700). According to the census of 1912, the South American republic of Colombia (excluding Panama) had a pop. of 5,072,604, living in 14 departments, two territo- ries (inlendancias) and seven special districts (comisarias) .
Significant modifications of the constitution of 1886 were made by the Congress of Colombia in 1910. A law enacted on June 6 provided that, in case of a vacancy in the presidency, two persons selected by Congress were temporarily to exercise the powers of the president in a designated order. If Congress did not select any substitute, then the members of the president’s Cabinet were to assume the powers of the president in an order to be designated by law. The presidential office was declared to be vacant in case of the president’s death, the acceptance of his resignation, or his demotion by judicial sentence. The Senate was given the right to determine when the president was permanently in- capacitated to perform his duties or when he had abandoned his post. On Oct. 31 1910, another law was enacted that made im- portant constitutional amendments, among which was a pro- vision that only male citizens who were able to read and write, and either owned real estate, or had an income, should be allowed to vote in congressional and presidential elections. Capital punishment was prohibited. The president’s term of office was limited to four years. Senators were to be chosen by assemblies in the respective departments. The Supreme Court was granted the right to determine whether or not a law should be en- forced which the national Government or a citizen had denounced as unconstitutional. During the administration of President Concha (1914-8), Congress enacted a law providing for the re- establishment of the Council of State which was to be composed of eight members, namely, the first designado and seven members to be appointed according to law. This council was to act as an advisory body to the president.
Communications.—European steamship service to Caribbean ports of Colombia was much disturbed by the World War, but later was largely reestablished. Early in 1914 wireless stations were in operation at Cartagena, Santa Malta, and San Andres. Com- munications with the United States were much improved by the service of the United Fruit Co. with vessels touching at Cartagena, Puerto Colombia, and Santa Marta, Measures were taken by Colombia to promote good roads. In 1920 the total railway mileage was not quite 800 miles. Various short railway lines were at that time either projected or under construction. From Puerto Wilches a railway eastward was begun, designed ultimately to reach Bu- caramanga. Plans were laid for the extension of the Pacific railway on the north to Cartago and on the south to Carchi. The Northern railway was built from Bogota to Nemocon and plans were made to extend it to the lower Magdalena river via Chiquinquira. Puerto Bcrrio and Medellin were connected by rail. An extension of the Araucaplumas and La Dorada railway to Giradot was being con- sidered, and one through the department of Caldas toward Pereira was being built. The great artery of interior traffic remained the Magdalena river.
Foreign Commerce.—In 1910 the foreign commerce of Colombia totalled 35,008,191 pesos de oro (nominal value $0.973 or approximately one-fifth part of i sterling); in 1913 it totalled 62,851,032 and in 1915 49,419,481. According to official statistics the total value of Colombia’s imports for 1916 amounted to 29,660,206.16 pesos de oro; while her exports came to 36,006,821.16 pesos de oro. Her most important imports were roughly classified in pesos de oro as follows: Textiles, 13,476,932.37; provisions, salt, etc., 2,436,578.78; metals, 2,240,845.86; drugs and medicines, 1,346,516.33; paper, etc., 913,502.97; agricultural and mining implements, 830,622; lighting and fuel, 681,816.98; liquors, 666,351.33; oils and greases, 242,450.
During the war there was a great increase of commerce with the United States. In 1916 more than 50% of Colombia’s imports were from that country ; 28% were from England ; about 3% from France; and 3% from Spain. Her exports were classified as follows: Vegetable products, 22,801,094.51; mineral products, 7,289,070.34; animal products, 4,127,179.72; manufactured articles, 1,173,158.81; live stock, 521,905.58; money, 68,443.80; miscellaneous, 25,968.40. In 1916 over 85.13% of Colombia’s exports went to the United States; 7.35% to Venezuela; 1.8% to England; 1.53% to Panama; 1.03% to France and 0.96% to the Dutch Antilles.
Army and Navy.—A law of 1916 fixed the size of the standing army at 6,000 men, artillery, engineers and infantry. In time of war men not in active service might be summoned to the colours. It was estimated that the army could thus be swelled to 120,000 men. In 1920 a decree was issued which fixed the period of obligatory service for infantry at 15 months; for cavalry and artillery at 18 months; and for railway engineers at 24 months. The navy in 1921 was composed of a few small cruisers, gunboats, and other vessels. Steps had been taken to establish a military aviation school.
Education.—Primary education was free but not compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 14. It was in charge of and supported by the departments except in Bogota where it was maintained by the national Government. The census of 1912 indicated that some 50% of the population of the republic was illiterate. In 1916, according to figures of the Minister of Public Instruction, there were in Colombia 5,387 primary schools. The total attendance at primary schools, both public and private, was 347,985. Secondary education was in charge of the Minister of Public Instruction who was assisted by an inspector in each department. In 1916 there were in Colombia 401 institutions, public and private, where secondary and professional training was given to both sexes. The total of primary, secondary and professional educational institutions, public and clerical, for both sexes in Colombia in 1916 reached 5.839, and the total attendance 384,089. The chief
