Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-11
MAYER g. CO., 4l5-4I7 9TH STREET N. W.

other parts of Europe. where the truck
gardeners have to pay penny or two upon
every basket of produce. every chicken
every egg and every flower they bring TO
market. That, as | have said, has Deen
entirely abolished and brought the greatest
relief fmaginable to the Egyptian market
gardeners and others who labor for nv
| ing. The navigation of the Nile was made
| free, so that the cost of transporting pro-
duce was reduced, and wherever burden
rested heavily upon the people 1t was re-
| moved or adjusted SO that it could be more
easily borne.
The salt tax was reduced 40 per cent,
which caused an increase in the consump-
| ton of salt from 1900 to $1,000 tons and
corresponding increase in the revenue
| therefrom. The house tax, which was for
merly paid only by natives, was not only
reduced but was imposed upon all resi-
dents of Egypt irrespective of nationality,
and a reassessment. equalized the rates as
justly and fairly possible. The result
was an increase in receipts from that
source from $780, goo to S725. 600. The taxes
upon farming lands We're also readjusted
and several millions of arrears, which had
been accommodating from year to year be-
cause it was impossible for the farmers to
pay them, were RENTED by stroke of the
PEN. Twenty years ago ordinary land taxes
were collected with the greatest difficulty
and forced sales by the government were
common everywhere. Now, after the re-
duction and equalization which has taken
place. sales for non-payment are matters OF
rare occurrence, and out OF total taxpay-
ing area of 5540,O00 acres, only 502 acres
were in arrears last year. and on total
assessment of "a. sos 900 only f1S2IS was
| unpaid at the end of the year. l doubt II
there is another country on the face of
the earth which will show better record
for the payment of taxes.
In addition to these postal rates were re-
duced one-half, which has caused the num-
Der of letters passing through the mails to
increase from 4, 354 600 in 1882 to IT 2560O0
in 1891: the telegraph rates were reduced
90 per cent and the number of kilograms in
creased from $50 coo to 4,251 600; rates on
the railways were reduced IS per cent. and
as consequence the number Of passengers
carried increased from 2, 761 900 to 18,040O 600.
and the freight from 1,116,0O0 to 2,975,0O0
tons of goods.
Rate Of Taxation Reduced.
Tha rate of taxation has been reduced in
every direction and the proceeds have been
expended In the construction of remunera-
tive public works instead of being stolen by
the officials and wasted by the extrava-
gance of the khedive and his family. The
credit Of the country has been restored.
Stability has been given to the whole sit
uations The people have been protected
from epidemcs and have been allowed to
enjoy the results Of their labor. Foreign
capital has been attracted to the country,
and many enterprises have been under
taken that have given employment to the
people and have increased the productive
ness of the soil.
The area of cultivated land, Lord Cromer
told me. has been largely extended and
there has been an enormous rise in it's
value. In spite of a great fall in prices the
value of the imports has been increased
from $4,000, 600 in 1884 to more than $780,
600 COO in 1901-2 willie the value of the ex-
ports has grown from SEQ 200 to $so,OOo.-
600 during the same period The cotton
crop has been more than doubled and the
sugar crop has trfpled.
During the meantime the allowance to the
khedivial family has been reduced about
40 per cent: and other economies have been
brought about in every branch Of the public
service When the trustees" Of the gov
eminent, as Lord Cromer calls them. took
charge in 1882 large sums of money van
ished from the treasury every year IN
mysterious manner; the accounts were In
the utmost confusion and 1t was Impossible
for any one to estimate the receipts and
expenditures. There were leaks at both
ends One class of officials had chance to
help themselves while the money was COM
ing into and another class while 1t was
going out of the treasury
Failure to distinguish between state funds
and the private income of the ruler of the
state has been the rock on which the
finances of many countries have split
Lord Cromer observed in a significant man
ner, and he tells some extraordinary stories
Of the discoveries that were made while inves-
tigating the financial condition of the Egyp-
tan government He said "The accounts
OF the floating debt showed that the eu-
logies lavished by portion OF the press OF
Europe on Ismail Pasha were not due to
disinterested motives. A sum of $150.000
was due to Paris dressmaker, and 1t APP
peared that Ismail Pasha had been engaged
with his own finance master in an opera
ton upon the stock exchange, the basis of
which was that he was to bear" the obli-
cations of his own country. In any number
of other cases large sums were spent with
out having anything to show for the money.
Millions were swallowed up in interest at
exorbitant rates, on bonuses on the re-
newal of bills and in similar financial Jug
gleries."
All this has been changed. and by econo-
my In expenditures. by an honest admins
tration Of the finances, by reduction of
taxation and fair and equitable assess
ments, and the expenditure of the public
funds for the benefit Of the people, the
condition OF Egypt has not only been inn
proved. but there Is annually large sur
plus to be applied toward the extinction
of the enormous public debt This was
gance OF the several khedfves and on the
S1st of December last amounted to more
than SSH, 900. During the last few years,
however, the commissioners Of the debt
have applied the sinking fund to the pur-
chase of bonds and have thus reduced 1t
nearly $45O00.O00.
Upon this record, as / have suggested.
you will agree with me that Lord Cromer
has q right to congratulate himself as we'll
as the people Of the country h6 has been
serving 90 ably and 80 faithfully.