Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-09
ooomarks, or 1900, was realized FOR the

UUmarkS, OF b,WU, was rcnuIeu TOT inc
central fund.
The general expenses Of the organi-
zation amounted to S155. 30o.si in the last
fiscal year. OF this amount 2S9 068 marks
was spent upon tho propaganda. and 49,
,s6 upon electoral work. Tho promotion
money was used for public meetings and
the gratuitous distribution Of printed
matter. Tho financial reform legislation
was discussed in thousands Of meetings
to which socialist speakers were sent to
inveigh against the perpetuation OF per-
sonai power and class privileges. Even
the women adherents Of the party took
part in the agitation with remarkable
ar1or. Their organizations IN the cities
OF the empire held more than 800 meet
ings and distributed a vast amount OF
literature gratuitously. the result being
| that the number of them enrolled in
creased from .a.46S TO 62,259.
One Of the annual expenses of the party
Is the payment OF legal expenses in trials
for sedtious utterances and Of the fines
in case Of conviction. This item was at
| low water mark last year; only $40
ma rks was needed, the government APP
parently having realized the futility or
worse Of constant vexatious prosecu-
ted to tho head OF Assistance" but this
outlay will he much greater for the pre-
sem year, $1,000 MARKS having been voted
to the Swedish strikers alone. Perhaps
the most remarkable figure in the whole
accounting is TINT OF personal compen-
| sation, administrative expenses and cor
respondence." It amounted last year to
only 1913 marks. or S18.s6s; II would be
very small party indeed which could
be run at that figure in this country.
Members OF the Reichstag being paid
| no salaries-a system which Is OF course
designed to confine the membership to
| the well to do classes-the social demo-
crazy had always made It n practice 70
pay its Representa- lives in that body
| whenever necessary in order to enable
them TO attend the sessions without per-
sonal suffering. One result OF this course
has been to increase tine efficiency OF
the group. While members Of Other par
ties were sitful IN their attendance ex-
cept important votes were TO be taken.
the socialist deputies are on hand at
every session I'D all through the session.
ready to take advantage of any fighting
opportunity that may offer
Two other factors Of expense N the
budget 81 the party are characteristic Of
It's remarkable energy and advanced
business methods: they are the Partei-
schulz and the Sozialdemokratis Pres
sebureau borh having their Headquarters
IN Berlin and 10th highly priced agencies
OF party work. The Pressebureau IS a
news agency analogous to those familiar
ia the American public. It collects the
news OF Europe with more or less thor.
ourhness and distributes II by te,epho,e
TO nineteen Of tho party papers which
have no better source OF information.
7. cost last YEAR 1851 marks. but Il Is
expected TINT In the course Of two or
threey ears It will become self-support-
ing.
| The parteischrle Is virtually a social
istic seminary at which the future gem
eral staff Of tic party and OF the ahor
unions attached to It is developed md
trained. II has a faulty of six professors:
Rosa Luxembourg. political economy.
Franz Mehrrinr. history. Herr Stadtha-
gen. Industrial and social legislation. II.
Cunorev, sociology: Herr Ro.enfield.
municipal law and Herr wurm. COM
munal politics. There are about one hun.
dred students who are chosen from
among the ranks of the miIitants holding
Official positions either in the pol,tical
group or in the Incorporated unions allied
with It. The unions or .vndicates nav 70,
their students; the central treasury de-
frays the expenses OF the others while
they are In attendance at the classes.
II they have dependent families II defray.
the expenses Of these during the absence
OF the breadwinners. The instruction Is
divided into four courses. ending In n
minute study OF the history OF socialism.
The school IL in some sort the crodl.
from which tie future OF the marty is
deye,oped