The King Decrees

Albert I, King of the Belgians, recently endowed by Parliament with dictatorial powers for six months (TIME, July 26), decreed last week that:

1) The price of coal shall be fixed by the government;

2) No electricity shall be furnished for other than municipal illuminating purposes after 1 a.m.;

3) No hot meals may be served by hotels or restaurants between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

While His Majesty thus decreed economy, the Senate assisted his ef- forts to save the Belgian franc by unanimously ratifying the bill turn- ing the state railways over to a National Railway Co. (TIME, July 26). The proceeds from the sale of this company's preferred stock will be used as the nucleus of a franc-saving fund.