The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

iSwsrf ~ Agltlsb representative 10 cnsiFts
more oins aad cs~naisafiai retaiione With
NE A'ssfaln than mlahs hHVs serEipf esep
dlsns ~ ths ssasclsy ~ ~ ne saioury N
Me prstncsnrr
a
stG
The aruassr part ~ thla hook 10 devoted
IN q description ~ the feHafhabls aacal
aud administrative reforms bfuBaht sbOus
BY sir Evelyn nafinn. aoW Earl ~ CfemsF,
during tho years IN which urpat britain
has practically controlled tip Kbedivial
Government. From q hacaI point of view
the courae pursued ny Lord Cromar has
been Identical with che policy followed by
Lord 1AwrHnoe In India, being bassd upon
the asiom that only In one wsy can . foreign
rnler hops TO establish In tho minds ~ the
ruled an unanswerable proof of hls right
20 hold tho reins ~ government. 'An allen
has but one meihoi % c~ommendlnG himself
and Of Qualifying hla prsasncs. lie must he
able 10 show 10 the peopls who have come
under hia caro- that he has secured them
such freedom from onsFous fiscal burdens
~ they have mover known at any time under
any native adminlst ration. Fiscal modsra-
ton, fiscal security and fiscal equity are his
credentials.'' Thoas credentials Lord Gro
mer has furnished In an unparalleled de-
gree.
The year 1880 marks the watershed Of
Egyptian finance. the Great Divide Be-
hind IL lay clouds and darkness: but on this
side Of 1890 successive years have brought
more and moro sunshine to Cairo. After O
long struggle equilibrium between income
and outgo was attained, and before tho
close Of 1899 the credit Of Egypt was re-
stored. BY 1890 the ordinary revenue for
the first time reached eight figures, amount
ing in that year to i0,2se.0OO Egyptian
pounds tan Egyptian pound 10 about four
dollars). After the Lapse Of seven years II
entered or eleven millions. and after six
more years a twelfth million was added.
This increase was effected in spite Of re-
peated large remissions Of taxation. amount
ing to not less than an annual aggregate OF
1900, 600 Egyptian pounds, and In spite
OF the fact that the prices Of products have
often ruled 70 low as to raise unpleasant
apprehension. Confidence was immeasur-
ably strengthened In 1903, after an end was
put TO the rule Of the Khalifa Abdullahi In
the Sudan. The final seal was affixed to the
redemption OF Egypt when in 1904 the. Gov
ernments of Great Britain and France con-
cluded the memorable agreement by which
the ~ascendancy Of the former country In the
Nile valley was acknowledged. Subject to
the fulflment Of her international obhga-
tons, the finances Of Egypt are hencefor-
ward her own.
In 1890. mainly through the labor and
ILL.,. - 4xl CRn~,Ar thA prfvtla0Ad
and Daira stocks were converted respec-
lively from s per cent. stocks into s1s and
1 per cent. In the following year the Do
mains stock was converted from S per cent.
to ~ per cent. Moreover, between the year
named and 1890 taxation to the amount OF
more than a million Egyptian pounds Yves
RENTED. At an annual cost OF 400 200
Egyptian pounds. the corrte, or forced
labor, by which the canals and distribu-
taries had previously been cleared out.
IVES done away with In 1890, and q little
later annual taxation to the amount Of
2so, 900 Egyptian pounGs was blotted out by
the abolition Of Weighing dues, the sheppard
goat tax, the fessional tax and minor
imposts. Some %3o, 700 Egyptian pounds
were taken on the land revenue rolls, In adj
dition to the remission Of l,245 900 pounds
due for arrears. No less than 1885 900 pounds
OF annual revenue was renowned in the
salt tax and In railway fares. Postal and
telegraph rates were reduced by 50 per
cent; octroi duties we're abolished In the
smaller provincial Owls. On the other
hand, under the terms Of the international
compact Of 1885, a house tax wac levied
upon Europeans and the duty on imported
tobacco was increased, to the great benefit
OF the treasury.
The budget for the year 1905 shows that
In the preceding twelvemonth there wac
approximately a revenue Of ID, 500 900 Egyp-
tian pounds, against an estimated income
Of 1 a,255 900 pounds. The estimate for 1905
Is 1850, 900 pounds, after allowance has
been made for a fresh reduction Of, tag
alton to the amount Of SS2 900 pounds. The
estimated expenditure, ordinary and special,
In 1908 10 $4,000, 900 pounds, a surplus OF
SOC, 900 pounds being expected. The re-
serve fund available for public works stood
at the beginning Of 1908 at 10, ISL 900 Egyp-
tan pounds. OF the lev credits granted
from this fund by far the largest item Is
for irrigation purposes. The programme
OF irrigation work in hand will absorb at
lesst 1000 900 pounds and the e%xtereion
and reorganization Of the State railway
system 100000 over and above the
amounts allowed for the coming year. We
may here point out that In January Of the
present twelvemonth the railway oon-
Meeting the Nile with the Red Sea (from
Berber to Suakin) was completed and
opened to trefac. !''. '.'N
- p' >
w.
IN his report for 1908 Lord cromer had
estimated that, without disoounting In any
way the surplus Of future years and with
ont trenching on the sinking fund needed