Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-01
FINANCES OF GERMANY
SURPLUS SHOWED IF VIEWED
FROM ONE ANGLE.


Special Cablegram TO The Star.
BERLIN, October 1.-The Neueste Mach
richten says that the statement that
the kaiser will meet President F'alleres Is
only correct to the extent that the kaiser
may possibly accept an invitation to extend
his Mediterranean cruise next spring in or
der to be present at the opening of the
Prince of Monaco's Oceanic Institute, a GER
emory at which the French president may
also be a guest. Obviously, however the
kaiser's travelling arrangements have not
yet been so definitely fixed as to permit of
his meeting with President Falleres on the
occasion in question being looked upon as
a certainty.
According to the best information obtain
able here, there is no decline Of German in
fiuence in Turkey. Germany is still pursu-
ing her forward policy in the dominions
of the sultan. The anniversary of the sui
tan's accession to the throne was duly COM
memorated by the North German Gazette
and the Cologne Gazette, and both organs
took occasion to commend the Sultan's
sagacity in promoting the construction of
the IIGjaZ railway While the Rhenish or
gan dweit upon the part which German en-
gineering skin has played In the realization
of the scheme. the former journal noted
that anniversary day has been chosen for
the opening ceremony of the branch line
from Dera to Haifa under the auspices of
the Turco-Gernlan general. Auler PaSha,
who is about to inspecr the line as far as
Medina with a view to Fastening the work
The sultan is apparently anxious that the
railway should be completed as far Me-
dina by next September. The promotion
of this enterprise II is added "testihes to
Abdul Hands great political farsghted-
ness, since the line which starts from Da-
mascus binds the HejaZ region and with it
the holy places of Islam. Mecca and Me-
dina more closely to the rest of the Turkish
empire, and firmly attaches the stream of
Musulman pilgrims to the Turkish railway
f,l,4 &c, hnt.,<
of the old pilgrim highway. Under Abdul
Hands rule the authority of the sultan
as compared with former days has already
grown appreciably in those regions which
are SO important for Islam and the inevi-
table result of the construction of the rail-
way will be still further to strengthen his
position"
Mite for the Widows.
The imperial finances for the year 1906 on
are reported as showing a surplus of Sc 49,
600. This surplus, however, comes to the
benefit of the federated states, the sum of
S11.25O,0OO being written off as contribu-
tons which they appear to owe to the i'm
perial treasury in the budget of 1907 The
following taxes and duties showed a sur
plus: Cigarettes. 100000: sugar 50 600 900:
salt. S4ooUOO Import duties showed a de-
crease of 100000 and the tax on railway
tickets a diminution of 100000. The
Berliner Tageblatt criticises the statement
as being unintentionally misleading since
a surplus can only be shown by emitting
the fact that not one penny has been con-
tributed in the financial year of 1906 to the
national insurance for widows and or
phans. When the new fiscal scheme was
adopted by the reichstag the surplus from
duties on articles of food was settled upon
tie widows insurance, and the yearly
amount thus rendered available was esti-
mated at S20OOO,OOO. In the last budget
this estimate was reduced to a little mora
that So, 100000. but the Tagebatt points ont
that of this estimated sum not one penny
has been actually available for the fund.
The Tightening of the burden to the minor
states however. Is both constitutional and
an economic necessity