Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-27
WING WITH MELS.

this license tax business. and with one shrill
voice demanded that this tax be either ex-
tended or wiped out. and that fair show be
given the natives. even if they were the nat
ural possesso-s Of the land. The result of the
whole matter was that the government. caught
between the two bodies. had to abolish the
whole tax altogether and relinquish thousands
of pounds income. With this experience be-
fore them it will probably be some time before
an effort is made to further extend taxation to
foreigners.
COMPLICATED FINANCES.
If a man has to have some fifteen or twenty
masters bossing him it might be some little
comfort to be allowed to spend his little in
come as he thought fit. Egypt has not this
privilege, although the fact results from past
extravaganza and waste. Egypt has large
debt on her hands scattered around among
different nations, and the fact accounts or
( forms an excuse for large portion of the
step fatheriy interest which is shown in
her behalf. In the Egyptian government is
an official called financial adviser" He
| Is appointed by the English government and is
OF course an Englishman. His authority is
wide, as can be see from the fact that no finan-
cial decision can be taken without his consent.
In the organization which looks after the debt
are representatives from the larger interested
| powers. The debt under which Egypt is
struggling must be credited to that luxurious
and gentlemanly spendthrift. Ismail who was
finally finally dep0sed- In 1863. for instance,
Thirteen years later. or in 1876.
| it Was s445.000,O00. What tremendous time
| Ismail must have had i'll those thirteen years
| but then it must be remembered that his Eu-
| ropean loaners charged him enormously
| After Ismail had been disposed OF Egyp,
| emerged from the law of liquidation
with debt OF 1890 ZOO, 900. Then the powers
took charge Of Egypt's finances. and BY the
London conference. IN los4, arranged them in
complex way. The income of the country al
present is about $50, DOC. 900 year, and some
thing Ike $40. 600 900 goes each year for inter.
est on the debt. The government is allowed a
( fixed sum each year for Its expenditures, and
/ outside OF this certain other expenditures
which have been authorized by the powers
/ The division Of the income Is therefore some
thing that would puzzle even a Congressman
accustomed to figuring on just how much the
I District ought 10 pay toward its maintenance
lake. Tor instance. an example. The income
| for the year is. say, $50. COO, 900. The ALLOW
ance for the governments Use is $50 600 O0C
and for the debt. or caisse. it is called. go
0O0O0O- We will say. however, that the caisse
does not need for its interest but S19 1000 O0O
1t has. therefore, surplus of $1,000. 900. On
the other hand. the government spends over
and above the go. goo. 900 allowed it. $500 900
but we will say that $500. 900 of this expendi.
tu-e has been authorized by the powers This
100000 the government can draw from the
surplus in the caisse. but the poor government
Is still Sl00. 900 to the bad and the calsse $780,
0OJ to the good. The caisse $500. 900 is then
divided equally between the government anG
the caisse. 1t will be seen then that for every
expenditure outside of the authorized list
which the government makes it has to really
pay two dollars for one dollar expended. This
will come home TO residents of the District o.
Columbia when they recall acts of Congress
taking certain appropriations entirely out Of
District funds.
Such a system Of finances is both absurd anG
unjust. 1t is absurd from its complication anG
unjust in not allowing the Egyptian govern
ulent proper elasticity in expenditures. Tc
extend the authorized expenditures in any di
rectlon 1t Is necessary to get the consent Of
sixteen powers, no easy matter. with the pull
ing and hauling going on, and the tendency in
European politics to play of consent to any
Egyptian request with a demand for some
concession Certainly fairer basis would be
TO take from the income the sum necessary fol
the interest and sinking fund of the debt anG
| TO allow the government the rest. ANY surplu.
in Egypt could be used with great advantage il
internal improvements, especially in extending
| the water supply.
LEGISLATIVE BODIES.
Egypt has not. and certainly her best FRIEND
would not claim that she was fitted for an,
popular form of government. There is how
| ever, the nucleus for a popular government
and some time IN the future, when education