New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-02

ITfATIvE or NJ cAILLAUX
THE YOUNG FINANCE
MINISTER
Paris. September %
The French bulge, for 1900. which next wees
viii be submitted by N. Caillaux Minister o,
Finance TO the Budget Commission. composed OF
thirty three Deputies, gives cause for serious re-
Fiction 1t reveals more clearly and exhaust
lively than has hitherto been attempted the I'M
piovident finance which for nearly twenty years
has boon sanctioned by the French Parliament
As long ago as 1881 the late VI. Leon Say and NJ
Paul Leroy-Reaulieu. the two leading French
authorities on finance. uttered grave notes O,
warning. and at that time French budgets were
models Of economy rs compared with the swollen
estimates Of recent years. unprecedented during
peace in any country Of Europe or America
Gambette. with great foresight, anticipated the
financial abuses which have expanded to such
an alarming extent since his death. and in his
scheme FOR revision. unfortunately rejected by
his own colleagues in the famous Grand Mn
istere." which lasted only seventy davs pro
posed that the Chamber Of Deputies should re-
nounco its power to Increase any estimate I'm the
budget presented by the Minis or OF Finance. or
to open new credits II was IN vain that Cam
beta pointed out the wisdom u the principles
laid down by Gladstone in 1866 that the con-
stitutlonal duty Of a legislative chamber Is not
TO augment but to decrease expenditure"
THE YOUNGEST FINANCE MINISTER
NJ Joseph Caillaux Is only thirty-six years y,
age, and consequently the youngest Of the Fl
nance Ministers I'm any of the thirty-nine cab
inets which have succeeded one another during
the Third Republic The budget which he has
Just drawn up FOR 1900 is regarded as a most re
markable and conscientious piece OF work
Strange as it may seem IL is the first budget %
set forth In detail and bring officially before the
Budget Commission the exact figures Of the pub
lie debt Of France. NJ Caillaux Is the ONLY Min
lister since Gambetta who has had the courage
70 point out the danger Of increasing expenses
and thereby aUgmenting the burdens Of an IN
expanding population and TO propose as rem
edy the suppression Of parliamentary initiative
IN increasing the estimates and prohibiting the
appointment Of additional Government en-
pioyes or the raising Of salaries without the ex-
press consent of the Chamber
NJ Caillaux IS a thoroughly trained enancisr
he IL professor at the School u Political Sci
ence, and is the author Of a remarkable book
called Taxation in France" Although his
father is Royallst and was Minister Of Public
was so ANONYMOUSLY forced 10 resign on tho
famous 18th If May 1877. NJ Joseph Caillaux
Is stanch Progressive Republican. He was
elected to the Chamber Of Deputies in 1895
when he defeated the Due de Ia Rochetoucauld
Doudeauville IN the ACCOMPLISHMENT If Manners.
in the Department Of tho sarthe. which. until tho
Republican victory won by NJ Caillaux. had
been a Royalist district represented continu-
hV no Drfo ia
Vile since May 1876 The young Deputy A.
once devoted himself 10 financial questions. and
became member OF the Budget Commission
until selected by NJ Waldeck-R Rousseau 70 IN
the post Of Minister Of Finance in the present
Cabinet
NO SWEEPING REFORMS PROPOSED.
In his budget for 1900 NJ Caillaux has avoided
sweeping reforms and radical ambitious meas
ures. He simply sets forth the facts clearly and
concisely, and says that. in spite Of every pos
sible effort to obtain reductions in estimates u
the various departments to what is strictly
necessary. the budget Of 1900 amounts 10 the
unprecedented sum Of 1920. 600 600 francs being
45OO0UO0 francs in excess OF the last budget T.
is only fair 10 deduct from these 450o00O0
francs an exceptional item Of 6 900 600 francs ~
defray the cost Of official entertainments con
nected with the Worlds Fair so that 39O00001
francs represents the net increase In the regular
estimates. But the gross increase Of actual ey-
pendture is more than 100000 francs over
and above the total amount OF expenditures -
the preceding budget. These seventy-odl
millions are made up OF the 100000 francs re-
sulting from special legislation OF which The
army and navy alone absorb $4,000 900 francs.
OF 100000 francs increase In the cost OF carry
ing on the various departments Of the Govern
ment. and Of the 100000 francs which. as al
ready stated are devoted as exceptional eX-
penses Of the Exposition TIE largest portion ~
the increased expenditure is the direct conse-
quence Of laws and engagements hastily adopted
by Parliament on its cwn initiative, over which
neither the Finance Minister nor the Budgo,
Commission has any control
Calculations based on the receipts Of the last
year would at first sight indicate that the In
crease Of revenue for 1900 would amount -
90 600 900 francs But NJ Caaux points out
that the receipts ~ the last year were excep-
tonal, owing chiefly TO the heavy customs 20
turns produced by the high duties on imported
wheat Consequently he prudently cuts down
his estimate Of increased receipts for the year
1909 70 45.O0OO0O francs. This enables him 10
present a budget IN which the estimated re-
ccpts exceed the estimated expenses by a11Ooo
francs The exact figure of the estimated *
penditure for l90o-ncluding, % course, the
sinking funds 500 6l60l9 francs This sum
Of , 800 900 O0o francs. or S7oo0O0000. exceeds
all previous French budgets except those OF lhT
years ISL 1852 and 1883. II Is much greater
than the national expenditure attained IN tine
If peace by any other country. The denlorahle
extent by which France breaks the record OF me
worlds national expenditure Will be more ap-
parent by comparison with the budgets OF Great
Britain. the United states and Germany. Inc
expenditure Of Great Britain for l>'s-V' 'Aprn
to March 80 was 1884 lf3Ooo The expenses
Of the United States for Tho year ending June "''
80 Of