Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-03-22
nrrnI.ssIoN 1N crnMNNY.


DEPRESSION IN CEnMNNY.
Germany is confronted with serious
financial depression Industrial condi-
lions in that country are Che main
theme OF discussion n the economic
and other journal. of Europe Those
discussions show that while the cou
/ and IRON trade and thc Industries which
! DEPEND ou thom are 40 a low chb. large
! ly through thc influence of "a restrictive
! mrin. The chief dIfhculty ccntors about
| the price of food products Although
/ the protection of corn and mont was
! intended to enrich tho whole country, 10
! has not even enriched The farmer Tor
The people are living on horse-nesh and
other oven bosor meats Tho treasury
misses the duties on imports which the
people are too POOR tD consume. The
number of unemployed Del increasing.
Not even these sor.ous conditions,
however. have sufncod Co swcrya The
chancellor from his avowcd program.
one German writer of influence
George Gothcin. discusses the REASONS
why the additional protection OF the
various articles afforded them by the
laws enacted since 1900 does not pro-
duco better times. lie thinks the
long continued depression due to the
fact that those whom the depression
most affects are consumers Of taxed ar-
ticlos and not producers. 10 is these
consumers whose want OF employment
emphasizes the dangers OF the situation.
They can Mother buy domestic nor im-
ported eatables. and the treasury Is
consequently impoverished by the
dminution of import duties received.
M; Gothoin plainly declares that
Germany Is unable TO feed itself Ger
many with its population OF Go6ll27S,
has only about s6.569.4sl acres under
cultivation. the United States. with "a
population now reckoned at some S5,-
Oo0 900. has % cultivated area OF re 965.-
ESQ acres. Hence, he concludes. the abb
surdity Of barring out foreign products
by a tariT which IS merely to be spent
on battcships and armies.
Contrasting the financial depression
IN America with that in Germany he
observes that:
I'm America the financial depression
which has recently been so universally
experienced begins slowly to abate.
while hero there are TO De noticed
scarcely any signs of such a change.
This may be- thought remarkable lu
spite OF the fact that the wholesale and
retail price OF agricultural products has.
through skilful manipulation. reached
an astounding height The old provcrh,
III the farmer thriyes. an thrive may
De- applicable In a country where agri-
culture engages the main portion OF the
population. and where "a good harvest |
results I'm a lowering of the prices Of
tt has no application I'm
Germany where scarcely "a fourth of
the population are occupied with the |
OF the soil, for Germany IS |
a state I'm which the prcpOnderauce OF |
and Industries is appar- 1
ant."
II is only the subordinate industries |
,f any country that can be successfully
protected. In Germany this would be |
agriculture; in America, manufactur-
Ing Ia any event, the strong must /
bear the weak; for If Il were possible |
10 tax the strong for tho weak, and |
then to reimburse the former by a SIM |
liar tax on the latter, there would be /
no protection whatever The result I'm |
Germany is due 10 the fact that II is /
The prime necessities OF life. the food |
of the people. that is raised in price by |
he operation Of the taxation. Where. /
rs in the United States. the enhanced /
cost falls mainly on manufactures /
which can be used IN varying degrees
without actual privation or suffering, |
he result Of the taSation is not so /
xeenly or disastrously felt by the bulk /
lf the people.