El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-20

III y.
II though the Social Democratic
party is the largest political or
ganizatiOn in the German empire, con-
trolling more votes than any other one
party, the gerrymander has prevented
its gaining control Of the Imperial leg
islature, and the system of class suf-
frage has kept it out of power in
Prussia, the largest and most important
German state. The Socialists never
have placed a law on the statute books.
nor have they ever succeeded in gain
ing control OF the administration of
even the smallest municipality. The
opportunity for German socialists to
Justify their pretensions yet lies in the
future
Notwithstanding this fact, practical
socialism has reached higher stage
Of development in Germany than in any
other country, not even excepting
France where the political socialists
practically are in control of the gov
eminent. But the German socialism is
n@ a democratic socialism. 1t is not
the result Of the action of the people
in merging the ownership and control
OF wealth-producing enterprises in the
state for the common good. 1t is, rath-
er, the result of the fixed determina-
ton of an autOcratic state to maintain
its power by controlling the economic
as well as the political activities of its
people. 1t is mOnarchiaI socialism.
Socialism Popular.
That 1T Is paying concern is mani
fest from the balance sheets of the
several German state governments; and
that it is popular is proved by the fact
that not even the tory Junkers oppose
the system This mOnarchial socialism
means that in Germany there exists the
collective public ownership of railways
mines. lands, forests, factories, stores,
and other instruments of production
and distribution. This socialism exists
not as the effect of doctrinaI agita-
ton, but as the result of legislation
passed by conservative ajority in
parliament, or as the result of auto
cratic .acts of a monarch in defiance
OF both parliament and people. 1t is
significant that the White-hot political
agitation in Germany today attacks
almost every existing manifestation of
governmental activity with the single
exception of this Institution of collect
i've ownership.
Earnings of Government.
The imperial government and the
government of the several German
states last year earned in net profits
from the Businesses owned and con-
Quoted by them more than S277, OO0,-
cent upon the capital value of the gov
ernment-owned productive industries. it
means that Germany has $1,000, O0O,-
600 invested in government dividend
producing enterprises. The govern
ments. imperial and state, continually
are adding 10 the value of their plants
owned and are acquiring new
concerns as rapidly as possible.
The imperial government is compar-
monarchial socialism. as the great ma
jority of the public owned properties
arc under control of the several states.
Taking the state governments together,
the revenue from their Industrial enter
prises approximately 40 percent of ali
their financial requirements, leaving
so per cent to be raised by taxes. If
the imperial government be included
it will be found that publicly owned
enterprises pay one-fourth of all the
expenses of the German government
state and federal. This does not in
clude, of COURSE municipality owned
and operated concerns confined to
cities Neither does it include any to-
bacco or salt monopoly or any other
state monopoly of like character, de-
signed primarily for the purpose of
leyying an indirect TAXATION The Ger
man state-owned concerns are operat-
ed for the purpose of saving for the
people and not to tax them
Large states Earn Most.
Among the German states it appears
TO be the rule that the larger the state
the greater its actual and proportion
ate participation in Industry. 1t is
that the three German re-
publics, Hamburg, Bremen and Lubbock.
where the people are in actual control
of their government. have developed
fewer socialistic institutions than any
of the monarchial German states; while
the principal of collective OW nership
has been applied to a greater extent
in Prussia, the most autocratic and IL
liberal monarchy, than in any Of the
other Kingdoms, duchies or principali-
ties
The tiny principality of Reuss, Of the
elder line, with 4 population of TO-
900 and an area OF only 122 square
miles, has the smallest income from
property of any of the Ger
man states-only $4,000 annually. The
duchy of Schaumburg-L ippc. with
population of $4,000 and an area Of 80
square miles, has an annual income
from state enterprises Of about $780,
900, representing about per cent OF