New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-16
ITALIAN FINANCES.

The Ministry Of the Marquis al Rudini IS 10
STAY IN place, with some alterations. IL mas
on the whole done we'll far better than MS Tor
mer Ministry. II Its present professions be SIN
cere. II deserves we'll Of the nation. For IL IL
doing much 10 tighten public burdens and to In
creose popular benefits There were those who
thought Italy would not find another such FL
nance Minister as Baron Sonnino. de dld' IN
deed manage the nations treasury we'll But
the showing now made by Professor Luzzatl Is
not less admirable. In his financial statement
made tust before the recent small crsis TINS
Minister announced 4 surplus OF SS,OOO'0oo' ana
promised considerable reduction OF taxation.
The latter was 10 be effected by the practising
OF various economies, and 10 be so applied as to
exempt small taxpayers from income tax. some
three million Of them in all. Other reforms
were calculated TO advance the interests or the
middle classes, the principles Of the Government
being thus stated "To strengthen the small pro-
"prietors Is to strengthen the honor and glory or
the State After restoring the equilibrium or
1.-THE State Budget we must now set about estab-
Fishing the equilibrium Of national economy,
commencing with tie humber class OF the
population"
That is sound doctrine and 1t Is to be believed
that the Minister Is honestly intent on carrying
II out There Is need Of II, for Italy Is still one
Of the poorest countries In Europe. Some au-
thorites declare 1t to be, 30 far as the masses
Of the people are concerned. the poorest of all
the Great Powers except Russia This gives
rise to much discomfort, and the Government is
often accused of squandering the wealth or the
nation In fruitless enterprises. There is, no
doubt some ground for this criticism. italy
has been overtaxed TO maintain the enormous
ornaments required as the price OF her mem
bership in the Triple Alliance. She has lost
terribly in money as well az In lives In the dis
astrous Abyssnan campaigns. And there has
been much proiigacy and theft Of public funds.
These facts are not to be disputed. They are
well known to every careful observer OF the con-
duct Of affairs during the last twenty-6v years.
But 1t would be gross Injustice to attribute
to such dongs the whole absorption Of Italian
funds, or to intimate that Italy has no bench-
cent results to show for all her sacrifices. The
fact Is that she has more to show for whnt she
has spent than almost any other country 1t
must be borne IN mind that Italy, Mt the time
OF her liberation and reunion, was at the bottom
of the scale in intelligence and civilization Her
people were the most ignorant in Europe. They
| had almost none of the appliances Of civilization
| which their neighbors enjoyed. The change
| that has been wrought Is little short of marvel
| ous, and reflects high credit upon the nation
| and its government. For example, the attend
| ance ut public schools In 1870 was only POI ,G32
| while now 1t is 2,471,G5S At the same time the
| attendance AT private schools has, on the whole
| remained about stationary, so that the Increase
| OF more than tenfod represents net gain. Nat
| urally there has been n great increase in the
| expenses OF the school system, but this has Lot
been nearly as great proportionately MS that OF
| is benefits. III 1870 the total cost was $500
100, and this year 1t is 22GS07 700 So while
The number Of pupils taught has increased more
than tenfod the cost Of teaching them has
| increased less than thrcefold. That Is certain
| ly cred.able showing Again, railroads, which
are built at public expense, have been increased
| from 6,277 to 1915 Kilometres the number of
postofiices from 2,548 to 4,S2S, and the number
Of telegraph offices from 1913 to 5,129. All
these things mean great gain to the people, but
Of course they have all cost money.
AS to the cost Of the army and navy, It Is
considerable but It has increased far less rapid
| ly than the other items in the budget. In 1870
the army and navy together cost 500, 200, 900,
and now they cost se9soo,ooo. or less than