Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-20

BERLIN, August C.-AhIpugh the So
cial democratic partyNis the largest po-
lstical organization ina thes German en-
pire. controlling more votees than any 9TH
ef one party. the gerrynarsaer has pre-
vented its gaining contron OF The imperial
LEGISLATURE, and the system of class suf-
frage has kept it out ofapower in Prus-
Gin. the largest and mostvimportant Ger
man state.
The socialists never haveAplaced sin
Sle law on the statute books. nor have
they ever succeeded in gaining control of
the administration of even the smallest
municipality. The opportunity for Ger
man socialists 10 justify ltheir preten-
sions yet lies in the future.
Notwithstanding this fact. practical So
cialism has reached Al higher stage of
development in
PRACTICAL Socialism Germany than
Highly Developed. country. not
even excepting France. where the polit-
ical socialists practically are in control
OF the government
But the German socialism Is not DEM
ocrstic socialism. 1t is not the result OF
the action of the people in merging the
ownership and control of wealth-produc-
ing enterprises in the state for the COM
mon good ItIs, rather, the result OF the
fixed determination OF an autocratic state
to maintain it's Yower by controlling the
economic as welf\as the political activi.
ties Of the people> II is monarcnical
socialism.
That 1t is a payinsN concern IS manifest
from the balance sheets oil tne seVeral
German state governments, and that IL Is
popular is proved by phe fact that not
zen the tory Junkers ,oppose the system.
This monarchical socialism means tnat
in Germany there exists the collective
public ownership of railways, mines,
lands. forests. factories, N.%eTes ana other
ton. This socialism exists not as the Ell
feet of doctrinal agitation. \but as the re-
suit of legislation passed ny a conserva-
tive majority in parliament, OF as the re-
suit OF autocratic acts OF = monarch III
defiance Of both parliament and people.
1t is significant that the yyhite-hot po-
liticai agitation in Germany today at
tacks almost every existing manifestation
e s.e:esn Of s. iss saSs
ownership.
The imperial government and Nthe/gov-
eminent OF the several GermaaA states
last yearf earned
Government Profits in net, profits
from !. the bust
in It's Enterprises. nessesi 10 VINE d
and conducted by them more <tlsan $2'''-
100000 II this return represants per
cent upon the capital value OF Mhe gov
ernment-owned productive industries. It
means that Germany has $1,OoOpO0,OOO
invested in government dividend pro-
ducng enterprises.
The governments, imperial and state.
continually are adding to the value OF
their plants already owned and are &C
| curing new concerns as rapidly as nos
sible.
The imperial government is compare
| lively a new conner in this field OF MOI
| arciiical socialism, as the great majority
| of the pubhc-owned properties are unueh
control OF the several states. Taking the
| state governments together, the revenue
from their industrial enterprises produces
| approximately 10 per cent of all their
| financial requirements. leaving % per cent
to be raised by taxes.
| II the imperial government be included
1t will be found that publicly owned en-
| terprfses pay one-fourth or all the ex-
penses OF the German government, state
and federal. This does not include. OF
course. municipality owned and operated
concerns confined TO cities. Neither does
IL include any tobacco or salt monopoly
| or any other state monopoly OF like char
| acter. designed primarily for the purpose
| OF levying an indirect taxation. The Ger.
man state-owned concerns are operated
for the purpose OF saving for the people
and not to tax them.
j Among the German states lit appears &c
be the rule that the larger the state tho
Il greater its actual and proportionate par
ticipation in industry. 1t is remarkable
that the three German republics, Ham.
burg. Bremen and Lubbock. where thu
people are in actual control Of their
government. have developed fewer So
ctalistic institutions than any OF. the mon.
Lafchical German states. while Sthe prin