The New York herald., 1869-06-07
FINANCIAL.
Our Financial Position Compared with That Of
the Leading Nations OF Europe.

| whether we are or are not on the eve or
great financial crisis do not care az thls tne 10
discuss. But there certain questions put daiiy
| by thoughtful men which are generally answered ac-
clrdpS to the hopes fears OF the party addressed
Ale the people Of the United States taxed beyond
their resourcesS Does our government manage Its
financial affairs with less skill than others? Have
we exhausted our most fertile sources or revenuef
| Do we pay too mnch for It's cOlecuionS Where can
| we improve our financial management? Can the
United States debt be padf VIII IL be paidS That
| your readers In discussing the subject may nave
| some authentic data on which to base their opinions
have taken the trouble TO colate from tine proper
sources the facts In regard the various countries
! Of Europe. My purpose Ia 70 present for pre-
| sent information and future reference a mass
Of trustworthy Details hitherto scattered In places
inaccessible to most Of your readers l have re-
duced them to as much order as was possible They
are calculated on lmDortant points, to the close Of
the financial year Of 1868, and when o11cia nforma
ton is only to be had for earlier date, fair esti
mate, based on the facts at hand, Is made for in
crease or decrease OF amounts.
FIRST we viii take up the nations in alphabetical
order, and give condensed summary Of the facts.
AUSTRIA.
Population Of Cisleithan Austria. including all
the natiOnalities OF the empire proper in 1865, was
10, 750a1S, which the ordinary OF increase
Transleithan Austria, which includes Hungary,
Pennsylvania, Croatia and the Bannat, in 1855,
l5,oO2s45; at present, 155oO0oO: total 49, 500 O00
The financial year ends December 81. In 1864
the public debt was 1900, 600 600 norins in 1867 1t
had increased to 3o25 3S5, S96 norins an annual In
crease OF 1872, 600. Under the management OF
Count Beust, however, the annual deficit In the bud
get seems TO oe decrease ng and the debt ls probably
now not over 3125,3l5, COO 1orns, calling for an
nual interest OF 102 214 Gorins. The budget Tor
1865 calls for expenses from the Cisethan countries
400 norlns from the Transleithan 12 500.
Among the sources or revenue we lnd:-Direct
taxesAustrla, "a, ,54s51l; hungary, 54749.ooO. In
direct taXes-Austria, 162,o6l,l4l; hungary,
4o,sJl,ooO Other sources-Austra, 80, 2se39; Hun
gary, 201S0,OIO The cost OF collecting the indirect
taxes and sale Of State property In Austria properis
5.54 per cent internal imposswlne, sugar, beer,
&c.-but Us the direct taxes are obtained Principally
AT the same ume the percentage Is really less Than
per centum Of Gus .Oms, 4l.o3 per cent; salt mo
nopoy, l2.U9 per cent; tobacco monopoly 1919 per
cent, and Oh TIE wno.e 2533 per cent. lt Is curious
TO note tnat greater sum IN gross s obtained IRON
internal lnposts tnan from the tobacco monopoly
ana yet that the cost oi collecting the latter s nearly
eight umes the cost OF getting the iorDler. In Hun
gary the cost OF collecting the revenue mucn less
than IN the Ciseithal countries, beng, on the
sources named above, lj2o per cent.
baden.
oPopaa0n about Her pqbc debt is
enue detailed In the Oicial statements, but the cost
OF collection Is 1923 per cent
Population, 4,S5O,OOO Her debt amounts to
Ss5, ,0v0,O 900 forms. The expenses f0r 1865
down at 5SeOo, 5SS norlns net, or 46oo gross.
which gives us as cost Of collection, 3lTI per cent.
The direct taxes cost 223 per cent indirect taxes,
rs per cent; royalties and monopoes, 3946 per
cent.
BELGIUM.
Population, 100000 deot, 5ooOoof, with an
ernment 1858 were 17l9l1 85Of. Ol her revenue,
that from excise on salt wines, brandy, beer, sugar
and vinegar was 2s,521oOOf; railways, Az. loo ooo.;
customs, l3,0l5,000f; registry and penalties,
35, o00f; direct special taxes, 35 l79 2sOl The
general cost OF collection appears to be l5.43 per
cent.
DENMARK.
Population 1soo 600; public debt 132,8s5 400 rigs
dalers interest the debt 1876 500 rlgsdaers;
penses for 1865, 2s,o24955 rigsdaers The receipts
from the interest on the Sound dues capital was
Ssrs; narecs saxes ISL rssasers. In
cases we have only the net receipts but the general
cost Of collection appears to be 1885 per cent.
FRANCE
Population, 80 ooo oOO debt, 12,9e3 2es ooof, with
always snow an annual dedclt. That for 1853 Is
estimated officially ~ 1872 $780, o7ef but all such est-
mates are lower than the actual results. The re.
ceipts for 1855 1851 ,915,6Jl with apparent
equality OF receipts made by using l25, 70l c5Jl III
Treasury note TO cover the defct The proportions
OF the receipts IN round numbers In millions are rs
toliows-Dlfect taxes, 80; registry, 800; special
budget, 24O; timber, So; customs, 20; Imposts on
sugar, salt and liquors, Ais; monopoly OF tobacco.
po yder &C. 36S. Tue cost OF collection appears to
he about ll.s7 per cen. on the whole.
GREAT BRITAIN.
Population In 1881 was 29, ,324, ,285, which during
seven years, owing TO the heavy emigration from
Ireland increased but slightly. IL may be safely
estimated to-day at not 90 800 900. Ths Ii OF
course the islands, great and SMALL at home the
colonies ana the rest Of tue empire having separate
financial administration Inc pubic deDJ IN lo6S Was
s7ss,oOo,ooO, on which the interest," including
European governments, there was slight detcit in
the scai year ending March 81, 1865 OF 81, ,o36, ,04;
but In the year Just closed which too far IN advance
to compare with the o the budgets quoted there
was an unexpected excess OF E40O 100000 winch Is
amounted to fIl, ,242. Inc receipts were IRON
customs, CO. $4,000; excise e2o l62, oOl; income tax
Co. l7 900; and the rest made from direct taxes, nails
and divers small sources The cost OF collection
amounted to o.s5 per cent.
GREECE.
Population, 1900, 900. Tie debt is matter OF dis
pute ana uncertainty One Official statement made
IL In 1s6j to be 29g, sos 102 drachms Tnc statement
tor 1866 when il had notorlously Increased nve
millions made 1t 2&6 lJ7, ,O0) drachraas. The oppos
ton demonstrated that It was 5i44J0,0OO dracnna5.
II may DC Set down as at least live hundred millions.
We nave only tue budget for 1867, by which We ind
the interest on the DEBT set down as 29j2,0)j
drachnas ana the expenses as %, 52000J; but they
ran over it about six millions, ~ near a3 we
ascertain. Direct and Indirect taxes form The great
bulk OF the receipts. For 1868 IN consequence Of tue
war fever, the expenses must have been heavier.
The cost or collection Is carefully conceaelin Mct
IL scarcely known " the government itselr-but we
tnins II - 1880
Population, s25,0oo. The debt we cannot obtain
but interest IL $780, norns. Expenses for 1885,
g3Il sG2 iorin The receipts were Principally from
grand ducal domains anu forests direct and indirect
taxes. Cost OF collection uncertain.
HOLLAND.
Population, 3,o5o0c0. Debt, g6s,243,9l3 Dutch
nors with an interest IN 1867 OF 2O29 667; but a5
the debt u now million and half less this interest
~ somewhat reduced. rne expenses for 1868 were
o., ,e65S S2i FORMS The receipts OF the year were
Direct taxes 2i,l2oo67; excise 2,7soooo; indirect
tqxes IL 800 0O0 customs 300 .6i subsidies from
the colonies, II, l,305, ,sos and from various other
sources In round numbers 46,O0oooO. Again, 1t Is
impossible to ascertain the expense OF collecting
the revenue. It must be noted here that the colo
nics OF Holland not only q source OF wealth to
the people, but OF direct revenue TO the government.
ITALY.
Population 20, SOC, ,000 Debt in 1857 6775, l08 15s
lire on which she paid interest OF s3l $751; As
her annual deficit averages two hundred millions,
and the addition OF part OF the Ponufcal debt
may her debt for 1855 at least 1896 lire