New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-22
ADOPTS SOCIALIST IDEA.
GERMAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSES PEN
sIONS FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS.
DEFICITS BY A TAX ON BEER
AND TOBACCO.


Berlin Nov Pin the Reichstag this after
noon the Secretary of the Treasury, Baron Won
Thielmann, announced that the deficit in the
imperial budget for 1908 estimated TO be
$37. 5OO.00O. The budget he added. would be
submitted in two three weeks The deficit
tor 1902 was $1475oOo0. 1t would not do, the
Secretary said, to he always providing for def
cts by loans. nor could the contributions of the
federated states he Increased. Nevertheless. it
was probable the states would ultimately have
to bear the deficit What ought to he done was
to increase the imperial revenues so as to bal
ance the expenditures. Looking around for suit
able objects for increased taxation, he saw beer
and tobacco. and he begged the members of the
House To keep these in view lille thinking how
to balance the budget Baron Won Thelmann
also ntimated that the government intended
soon as practicable TO propose pensions for
widows and orphans He was quite unable 10
say how much such pensions would he an ex-
tension of the state insurance laws and treas
ury burdens, but the suggestion made that
SO person yearly was insufficient. Assam
Ing that $50 was enough for the pensions of
widows and orphans. 1t would take S4000Oo00
It impossible 10 say how much the govern
ment tariff hill would yield. but n mere me-
chancal estimate. based Oh the present i'm
ports showed the customs receipts would in
crease S-t'Fb's' Inc supporters OF the com
missions tariff schedules thought a total OF
$125. 100000 would be derived. Secretary Won
Thielmann mentioned considerations that re-
duced the estimate largely.
The Secretary's hint that the government was
meditating pensions for widows and orphans
caused stir among the members. because il is
one of the things the Socialists advocate. The
deficit is the result OF the financial depression
which still affects almost every form of bust
ness limiting the purchasing power of every
class While there have been no large failures
recently various symptoms appear OF continued
hard times. At the Krupp works 5000 laborers
have had their time reduced two hours daily
and some departments are shutting down each
week. The iron syndcates are reorganizing
and prices recently were again cut. The num-
Der of unemployed persons. according to the
municipal censuses Is barely fewer than year
ago
Secretaries OF Finance before this have
thought OF levying fresh contributions on beer
and tobacco, which now have exceptionally low
duties the tobacco import dues being one-third
those OF the United States. The beer dues are
also below those OF other countries. The empire
collects no beer tax. that heretofore being left
TO the several states, whose rates vary The
principal which has deferred the LAYING
of an imperial beer that il would
disturb the relations with Bavaria which relies
a great deal its beer tax, which is still low
side states Bavaria has always pointed out
that if the empire taxed beer IL would injure
Bavaria more than the other states that il
would not be fair play, and that II would i'm
additions OF beer and tobacco taxes are certain
TO be highly unpopular