The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-18
TAXES IN GERMANY
or THE ExCHEQUER
 AT WITS END.
Urgent Remedy is Required and Au. thoratles Are Vexed Over the PrOblem-Afaking Up New
 Balance Sheet.
BY BERNARD FISCHER.

Berlin. Oct. 17.-Germany is on the verge of introducing a new series of taxes. and it seems that the German Secretary of the Exchequer is at his wits end with regard to the solution of the problem of how to produce the means necessary for the payment of the administrative expenses Of the Elm ptre.
 The tax on motor-cars has proved an entire failure. and the same fate has overtaken the tax on railway tickets. The latter tax especially has had a disastrous effect on the hnan- cial position. ...
 Since the German railways are run in a large degree by the Prussian government, and in consequence Prus- sia looks for large income from this source the result ot this tax IS not withou a humorous side seen from the standpoint of the unprejudiced looker-on. ...
 The tax on railway tickets has caus- ed a considerable number of travel CTS who formerly travelled first class to take to travelling second class, and has converted lot of second class passengers Into third class travellers. By reason of this result the gross profit on the railways has decreased considerably. and Prussia has had to pay out of it's own pocket the rail- way ticket tax for the whole German Empire.
 An urgent remedy for this state of affairs Is required by the Prussian government. and a bill is to be brought before the Reich stag early in the com Ing session to put the matter right Other resources for keeping up and in- craasing the revenue of the empire will have to be looked for and 1t Is generally thought that some branch of German Industry will have to pay the piper.
 German industry is just now very busiiy employed In making up its bai- ance- -shset for the first year of the new tariff. and 1t seems that this bal ance-sh eet will show a considerable loss on tho side of the German pop ulation.
 Especially disastrous have been the results of the tariff in the chemical industry; an industry which is prom inent in Germany. Before the insti- lecturers found a large market for their goods in Russia and other Flu ropean countries. but they have been practically put out of the business in Russia, for the simple reason that this country responded to the German duty on corn by putting & heavy im- post on German manufactured articles
 
 business in these countries. German chemical firms have been compelled to erect branch manufaetories abroad, an undertaking which has required not only a considerable amount of cap. ital expenditure but also the technical training of a new staff of native woFkmen.
 The Secretary of the Berliner Pa pieFindustrie-V -Verein (Beriin Paper In- 1 dustry Assoeiation) said In the course of ap interview with the representa- tive of The Berliner zeitung that the paper industry, which formerly ex- ported about sixty per cent. of It's total output. has suffered considerably dur ing the last year.
 Many lines In this business have been put absolutely out of competition for the export trade. which conse- quently shows a decrease of about 3l5.- 100000 for the past year. The tarih has also come down with a heavy hand upon the metal industry@
 It Is here where the Import of raw material comes especially Into ques- tion. and many firms are now abso- lutely unable to compete with Eng liSh or Ameriean manufaeturers by reason of the fact that they cannot get the raw products they require SC nhsanlV aS they could in the DAAA