Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-08
ONLY KING NEVER IN DEBT
Victor Emanuel Of Italy the One who
Holds that Unique Dis
tfuPfIou-

ROME, Nov. 7.-(Special liking Victor
Emanuel stands unique as the one sover-
eign in the world who has never had a
debt. More remarkable still he was practi-
cally free from debt as crown prince when
his finances were anything but florid.
The Italian civil list amounts to the very
respectable sum of 81, 100000 yearly, but the
kings expenses are He hands
over every year $4,000 to his mother, he
keeps up from eight to ten palaces and es-
tates, which came to him from the dis
possessed Italian rulers, and he is paying
off the debts of an extravagant father
and still more e-xtravagant grandfather.
When he came to the throne he found that
there were many large debts on which very
high interest was being paid, of the great
Victor Emanuel, a king in the old style,
without thought where spending, women
and feasting were concerned, but a hero
for courage and love of country. King
Humbert was more restrained in his pleas
ures, but thought that a king should be
a king all through, and not look at the
pennies. Thus when his son came to the
throne he found a sad state Of financial
chaos.
Victor Emanuel's public point of view,
euriously enough. is that of his subjects,
that while the country is poor it's sovereign
should pay the personal family debts, and
his private view is that a sovereign lowers
his own dignity and that of his subjects if
he runs into financial difficulties, and is
obliged to pawn his Jewels, for example.
He therefore looked about him for the
best way to raise money and came to the
conclusion that the bourgeoisle way is the
best, l.. e., to cut down expenses. What a
day that was at court! when he ex-
pounded his plans to the minister Of the
royal house, that functionary went about
with his eyes half out of his
head with establishment, and is even said
to have been seen wringing his hands and
praying for a return OF the good old days.
There was great establishment, not only
in Italy but abroad, when the young SOW
ereign, with over $1,000 600 income, sold
nearly 100 horses which had been eating
their heads off at the Qulrinal palace,
only keeping those strictly necessary for
royal use. At the same time two or three
cooks were got rid Of. Today the queens
clothing. while of the best quality, is not
bought regardless of price, as was the case
with Queen Margherita. Furthermore,
Queen Elena's gowns and hats are seen
quite three times, if not more by the pub
lie, and entertaining at the palace is re-
stricted to two balls a year, the neces-
sary state dinners, and such Indispensable
functions. Despite the household econo-
mics foreign soverelgns who have visited
the Quirinal declare that they were enter
tanned as well, If not better, than at any
other court.
Another of his Economies was to turn
the royal stables, here and there, into
paying concerns. For instance, Castelfus-
ano and Castelporziano, near Ostia, on the
sea, under the late magnificent" king
were merely passive shooting places, which
required large sums OF money to keep up,
The bourgeois king has. with modern
methods, transformed them into money
making properties, which pay from 3 to !
per cent, and at the same time keeps up
his game preserves at half the cost. The
Coltano estate. which seemed to be moth
ing but worthless marshes, has been
drained. and now pays something k 10
Der cent,