The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-06

ing Russian army, while the main force
of the German army should be hurled
against the French frontier. Austria now
finds that a large part of her army is
tied up on the southern frontier to OPP
pose the Servians and Montenegrins with
their Bulgarian and Greek allies. and she
has informed the German general staff
that she cannot spare for use against
Russia the number of troops contem-
plated in the Moltke project. Germany
now has to make good this deficiency,
and she is preparing to spend millions
on Notifications on her eastern front,
facing Russia. Otherwise, in case of war,
she would find Russian army in full ca
reer for Berlin before the German army
could satisfactorily smash" the French
defenses.
Next Christmas will be a meagre one
for German families if the proposed plan
for financing the army bill is adopted.
1t contemplates a. general 'war-tax
such as was levied in the Middle Ages
by local princes when they went forth
to war. The first contribution to the
fund of $3.50, 600 is to be assessed upon
the property holders of the empire, each
one being called upon to give up GER
tain proportion of his wealth. On the
basis of the estimated wealth of the ma
tion this tax. it is figured, will amount
to at least one-half of one per cent, or
$5 on every 1000. But if the poorer classes
are exempted. as is proposed, and grad
uated scale adopted, the better classes
may be called upon to give up as high as
2 per cent and millionaires up to per
cent of their wealth. Many of the land
owning families of the German aristo-
cracy, who are already living up to their
full income in keeping their sons in the
army, navy and higher governmental
Positions will be unable to raise this as
sessment from their incomes, and VIII
have to throw a portion of their prop
erty on the market.
That the bill will be adopted and the
| money raised, however,, no one doubts.
| The socialist party will vote against the
measure, but the other parties in the
ieichstag will support it unanimously,
probably without debate.
While Germany will tax incomes to
pay for her armed camps Austria IS
going to raise money to meet the expenses
Of government by exactng tribute from
her people every time anybody strikes
| match. The new tax is to be two-fifths
of a cent a box, which is more than
the retail price of the box of matches
| itself
New taxes are no more popular in AUS
tra than elsewhere, and the public is
| protesting vigorously against this latest
! levy. The proprietors of the Cast
| Eauser," or cheap restaurants and wine
rooms, have held meeting at which it
| was decided no longer to place rree
matches on the tables. but it is doubtful
lif this petty economy really will be car
| ried out. The minister of finance indeed
argues that the match tax is so small
! that 1t will not be felt at all; according
| to his estimate it will amount to from
! lb to 20 cents per head of the total popu-
| lation per annnm. The minister calculates
| that this levy will bring into the imperial
lsexchequer something like s2,Ooo,o0o or 81
| o6O year, but as the consumption
| of matches is certain to decrease after
| the tax becomes effective, which will be
/ in about six months this sum will grad
ually become smaller.
| Experience shows that in countries
| where matches are taxed the consump-
ton decreases considerably In Austria
at present it is estimated that every
| person uses nine matches day In Italy,
/ Russia and France the average daily con-
sumption is from four to five matches
a day, and i'm Germany only ~ Matches
| are taxed in all these countries.
l. Germany and Prussia are again COM
PEELED to borrow money, and their bor-
rowing falls at the most stringent period.
1 that the German money market has ever
had at this season of the year
The, Balkan. war has caused even more
/ uniavorable money market conditions
4 than did the American panic of 1907. which
4 resulted IN large amounts of German gold
| being exported to the United States. The
| war has greatly disturbed trade condi-
4 tons. 1t is difficult for business houses
to make collections, and they are COM
! PEELED to get accommodation at the banks.
The country has just been enjoying a
lperiod of unusual prosperity. which en-
/ tailed a very heavy consumption of nov
capital for building new mills and ex-
1 tending existing plants
/ Owing TO these causes the two govern
j nlents have been compelled to accept
harder conditions for their. loans than
every before. The new bonds are offered
to the public at $3.50, which Is 40 lower
than the per cent issue brought out
four years ago.
The Empire Is borrowing only si2, ,0oa 900
but Prussia is borrowing a total of slge, l
O90,0Oo Prussia needs money for MAKING
ex tensive' additions and improvements IN
her railway system, for carrying on her
Il large canal building operations. and for
II the reclamation of worthless lands.
Sine Quo Non
Ii From Judge
T. a., 1,oI--.sPnor4 AJrs ,.oid.i,