Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-06-17
THE EMPEROR'S PAYDAY.
When William Gets His Salary There is {
Deal of Ceremony Observed.

When William Gets His Salary There is "a
Deal of Ceremony Observed.
Emperor William receives his salary
quarterly in advance. The money is
thrice counted by different functionaries
at the national treasury and is after
wards placed in number of strong
boxes and carried to the royal mail
wagon, waiting at the door between a
troop of mounted gendarmeS. After the
load has been placed in the vehicle the
ministers of finance OF the empire ana OF
the kingdom place the seals Of their re-
spective offices upon the door and accom-
pany the minister of the royal household
in his carriage TO the palace, the mail
wagon with its escort of gendarmes fo!-
lowing immediately behind. Not until
the money is actually deposited in the
vaults of Emperor Williams Berlin pal
ace does the minister of the household
sign the receipts. which are made out in
the name of "Wilhelm Rex" and will
helm Imperator," respectively, one-half
of the sum being derived from the treas
ury Of the kingdom of Prussia and the
other from the treasury of the German
empire.
Two days afterward the court func-
tionaries receive their pay, but although
the Emperor receives his salary lii adj
vance. not one Of the employees is SINH
larry favored, so that the Emperor is
in the pay list of his household. The
only exception which the Emperor
makes is in favor of his consort, whose
personal allowance of S250OOO per an
mum is paid to her quarterly in advance.
At no great court in Europe are the
salaries SO low as at that of Berlin, the
so-called great dignitaries having to salts
fly themselves with Il pittance of $1,000
a year, while the minister himself re-
ceives but $4,000. This is not surpris-
ing when the enormous number of per-
sons who figure on the pay roll is taken
into consideration. For instance, there
are no less than 800 hOusemaids and 1880
liveried footmen. Every servant, high
or low, is entitled to a pension after
working in the royal household for TWEEN
ty years.
Over and beyond the civil list received
by the Emperor from the treasury of the
empire and that of the kingdom ne
draws from the war department full sal
aries for the different military commands
he assumes. AS cOmmander-in-chief of
the army he is continually appointing
himself colonel-in-chief of this or that
regiment. which has thereupon the right
to style itself the "leib' or body regi-
ment of his majesty. Whenever one
reads in the gazette that he has thus
honored a regiment in the army, one may
take it for granted that it entails an addi-
ton to his income in the shape of Il
coloneTs pay and allowances. 1nasmuch
as at the present moment he holds the
colonelcy of some fifty different regi-
ments it will readily be seen that this
constitutes no inconsiderable addition to
his income, all the more as the colonel
cies carry with them forage allowances
for about 200 horses.
Out of this civil list the Emperor is ex-
pected to pay the allowances Of the vari-
Gus members of his family But this
is not heavy drain on his purse. His
brother, Prince Henry. and his brother
in-law, Prince Frederick Leopold have
each inherited immense private fortunes
and are practically Independent of any
allowance. while the only other princes
of his house, Prince Albert of Bruins
wick, the crazy Prince Alexander and
the eccentric. yet talented Prince George,
all three elderly men, are exceedingly
wealthy. Indeed, they figure among the
richest princes of the blood in Europe
Chicago Record