72:3.9 Divorce regulations are somewhat lax, but decrees of separation, issued by the parental courts, may not be had until one year after application therefor has been recorded, and the year on this planet is considerably longer than on Urantia. Notwithstanding their easy divorce laws, the present rate of divorces is only 1/10 that of the civilized races of Urantia.
4. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
72:4.1 The educational system of this nation is compulsory and coeducational in the precollege schools that the student attends from the ages of 5 to 18. These schools are vastly different from those of Urantia. There are no classrooms, only one study is pursued at a time, and after the first 3 years all pupils become assistant teachers, instructing those below them. Books are used only to secure information that will assist in solving the problems arising in the school shops and on the school farms. Much of the furniture used on the continent and the many mechanical contrivances — this is a great age of invention and mechanization — are produced in these shops. Adjacent to each shop is a working library where the student may consult the necessary reference books. Agriculture and horticulture are also taught throughout the entire educational period on the extensive farms adjoining every local school.
72:4.2 ¶ The feeble-minded are trained only in agriculture and animal husbandry, and are committed for life to special custodial colonies where they are segregated by sex to prevent parenthood, which is denied all subnormals. These restrictive measures have been in operation for 75 years; the commitment decrees are handed down by the parental courts.
72:4.3 ¶ Everyone takes one month’s vacation each year. The precollege schools are conducted for 9 months out of the year of 10, the vacation being spent with parents or friends in travel. This travel is a part of the adult-education program and is continued throughout a lifetime, the funds for meeting such expenses being accumulated by the same methods as those employed in old-age insurance.
72:4.4 1/4th of the school time is devoted to play — competitive athletics — the pupils progressing in these contests from the local, through the state and regional, and on to the national trials of skill and prowess. Likewise, the oratorical and musical contests, as well as those in science and philosophy, occupy the attention of students from the lower social divisions on up to the contests for national honours.
72:4.5 The school government is a replica of the national government with its 3 correlated branches, the teaching staff functioning as the third or advisory legislative division. The chief object of education on this continent is to make every pupil a self-supporting citizen.
72:4.6 Every child graduating from the precollege school system at 18 is a skilled artisan. Then begins the study of books and the pursuit of special knowledge, either in the adult schools or in the colleges. When a brilliant student completes his work ahead of schedule, he is granted an award of time and means wherewith he may execute some pet project of his own devising. The entire educational system is designed to adequately train the individual.
5. INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION
72:5.1 The industrial situation among this people is far from their ideals; capital and labour still have their troubles, but both are becoming adjusted to the plan of sincere co-operation. On this unique continent the workers are increasingly becoming shareholders in all industrial concerns; every intelligent labourer is slowly becoming a small capitalist.
72:5.2 Social antagonisms are lessening, and good will is growing apace. No grave economic problems have arisen out of the abolition of slavery (over 100 years ago) since this adjustment was effected gradually by the liberation of 2% each year. Those slaves who satisfactorily passed mental, moral, and physical tests were granted citizenship; many of these superior slaves were war captives or children of such captives. Some 50 years ago they deported the last of their inferior slaves, and still more recently they are addressing themselves to the task of reducing the numbers of their degenerate and vicious classes.
72:5.3 ¶ These people have recently developed new techniques for the adjustment of industrial misunderstandings and for the correction of economic abuses which are marked improvements over their older methods of settling such problems. Violence has been outlawed as a procedure in adjusting either personal or industrial differences. Wages, profits, and other economic problems are not rigidly regulated, but they are in general controlled by the industrial legislatures, while all disputes arising out of industry are passed upon by the industrial courts.
72:5.4 The industrial courts are only 30 years old but are functioning very satisfactorily. The most recent development provides that hereafter the industrial courts shall recognize legal compensation as falling in 3 divisions:
72:5.5 1. Legal rates of interest on invested capital.
72:5.6 2. Reasonable salary for skill employed in industrial operations.
72:5.7 3. Fair and equitable wages for labour.
72:5.8 ¶ These shall first be met in accordance with contract, or in the face of decreased earnings they shall share proportionally in transient reduction. And thereafter all earnings in excess of these fixed charges shall be regarded as dividends and shall be prorated to all 3 divisions: capital, skill, and labour.
72:5.9 ¶ Every 10 years the regional executives adjust and decree the lawful hours of daily gainful toil. Industry now operates on a 5-day week, working 4 and playing 1. These people labour 6 hours each working day and, like students, 9 months in the year of 10. Vacation is usually spent in travel, and new methods of transportation having been so recently developed, the whole nation is travel bent. The climate favours travel about 8 months in the year, and they are making the most of their opportunities.
72:5.10 ¶ 200 years ago the profit motive was wholly dominant in industry, but today it is being rapidly displaced by other and higher driving forces. Competition is keen on this continent, but much of it has been transferred from industry to play, skill, scientific achievement, and intellectual attainment. It is most active in social service and governmental loyalty. Among this people public service is rapidly becoming the chief goal of ambition. The richest man on the continent works 6 hours a day in the office of his machine shop and then hastens over to the local branch of the school of statesmanship, where he seeks to qualify for public service.
72:5.11 Labour is becoming more honourable on this continent, and all able-bodied citizens over 18 work either at home and on farms, at some recognized industry, on the public works where the temporarily unemployed are absorbed, or else in the corps of compulsory labourers in the mines.
72:5.12 These people are also beginning to foster a new form of social disgust — disgust for both idleness and unearned wealth. Slowly but certainly they are conquering their machines. Once they, too, struggled for political liberty and subsequently for economic freedom. Now are they entering upon the enjoyment of both while in addition they are beginning to appreciate their well-earned leisure, which can be devoted to increased self-realization.
6. OLD-AGE INSURANCE
72:6.1 This nation is making a determined effort to replace the self-respect-destroying type of charity by dignified government-insurance guarantees of security in old age. This nation provides every child an education and every man a job; therefore can it successfully carry out such an insurance scheme for the protection of the infirm and aged.
72:6.2 Among this people all persons must retire from gainful pursuit at 65 unless they secure a permit from the state labour commissioner which will entitle them to remain at work until the age of 70. This age limit does not apply to government servants or philosophers. The physically disabled or permanently crippled can be
