Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 05.djvu/504

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LAUCK 428 LAUBEL Latvia is mainly an agricultural coun- try. It has vast possibilities vphich are as yet undeveloped. There are about 340 miles of seacoast. The majority of the population is Protestant, but in a part of Courland there are many Roman Catholics. The principal towns are Riga, Libau, Mitau, Windau, and Dvinsk. The population is about 2,500,000. LAUCK, (WILLIAM) JETT, an American economist, born at Keyser, W. Va., in 1879. He graduated from Wash- ington University in 1903. He served as assistant professor of economics and political science at Washington and Lee University from 1905 to 1908. From 1907 to 1910 he was in charge of indus- trial investigation of the United States Immigration Commission. In the follow- ing year he was chief examiner of the Tariff Board. He served as expert and consulting statistician on many impor- tant commissions concerned with the investigation of railroad rates and kin- dred subjects. From 1917 he was statis- tician of the United States Shipbuilding Labor Adjustment Board. In 1920 he published several reports relating chiefly to the alleged profiteering of large corporations. LAUD, WILLIAM, an English pre- late; Archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of Charles L; born in Reading, Berkshire, England, Oct. 7, 1573. He was educated at the free school of his native place and at Oxford; was or- dained in 1601; became president of his college in 1611; accompanied James I. to Scotland, as one of his chaplains, in 1617; was installed prebendary of West- minster in 1620; and obtained the see of St. David's in the following year. On the accession of Charles I. he was trans- lated to the see of Bath and Wells, and in 1628 to that of London. In 1630 he was elected chancellor of the University of Oxford; which he enriched with an invaluable collection of manuscripts in a great number of languages, ancient, mod- ern, and Oriental. He was promoted to the see of Canterbury, and chosen chan- cellor of the University of Dublin. His endeavors to introduce the liturgy into Scotland created him numerous enemies. At the commencement of the Long Par- liament, therefore, he was impeached by the Commons and sent to the Tower. After lying there three years he was brought to his trial before the Lords, by whom he was acquitted, but the Lower House passed a bill of attainder, declar- mg him guilty of treason, which they compelled the peers to pass; and the archbishop was accordingly beheaded on Tower Hill, Jan. 10, 1645. LAUDANUM, or more correctly Tincture of Opium, the most generally used of all the preparations of opium. It is obtained by macerating the sliced or powdered drug in dilute spirits, and filtering. Laudanum is a powerful ano- dyne and soporific, but is more liable to cause headache than the solution of one of the salts of morphia. LAUDER, SIR HARRY, a Scotch concert hall singer and comedian, born in Portobello, Scotland, in 1870. When he was still a boy he was discovered to have an unusual voice and was induced to follow the stage as a profession. His first notable success was made in Belfast. Appearing in London, he at once became a favorite and this was followed by suc- cess in America, which he visited for the first time in 1907. This was followed by frequent tours in the United States, where his popularity continued. During the war he did important work in the entertainment of the soldiers in the field, and in recruiting. He was knighted as a result of this work. In 1918 he wrote an autobiography. LAUGHLIN, JAMES LAURENCE, an American economist, born in Deer- field, Ohio, in 1850. He graduated from Harvard University in 1873. From that year until 1883 he was instructor of political economy at Harvard and was assistant professor in that branch until 1887. He was professor of political economy at Cornell University from 1890 to 1892, and was professor and head of the department of political economy at the University of Chicago from 1892 to 1916. He was a member of many im- portant economic societies and lectured much on economic subjects, both in the United States and abroad. His writings include "Study of Political Economy" (1885) ; "History of Bimetallism in United States" (1886); "Facts About Money" (1895); "Later-Day Problems" (1909). LAUNCESTON, the second city of Tasmania, is to the N. of the island what Hobart, the capital, is to the S. — the chief port of entry and mart of trade. It stands in a valley inclosed by hills at the junction of the Esk with the Tamar. It is accessible to ships of considerable burden, and carries on a thriving com- merce with the principal Australian ports. The town is supplied vnth. water from St. Patrick's river. Launceston was incorporated in 1858, and raised to a city in 1889. Pop. about 24,000. LAUREL, the genus Laurus and specially the bay, L. nobilis, the laurus of the Romans and the daphne of the