The San Francisco call., 1913-07-20
RE E|CHsTAC NE RI:
PLAYTH|NC; HARDLY
/. DEBAT INC SOCIETY
Members Not Allowed to
Say Anything or Even In
tirnate Anything Re
fecting on Kaiser

AAOS O41 AAG@0~A
BERLIN. July 19.-The actual power
of the German reichstag is so small
thatsscoffers have been known to refer
to it as "a glorifed debating society"
The limitations upon the freedom of
speech of the delegates are so great
that it may be doubted whether this
term is appropriate
For expressions which would not
even excite comment in an American
legislature speakers are admonished
by the president of the reichstag and
for expressions slightly more daring
there is a formal call to order. The
third call to order forfeits to the Of
fender the right to the floor.
Every session of the reichstag brings
amusing examples of this. At recent
session the social democrat peus was
speaking.
The kaiser" he said. caused to be
issued yesterday a decree which is
coached in more moderate tone than
was the case in former times DR..
Kaempf, president OF the reichstag, in
terrupted him thus
'Isbeg you to cease using such ex-
pressions.S You may not say that the
emperor has become more moderate
That gives occasion for the contrast
between moderate and immoderate"
Scheidemann, another socialist, was
speaking of the armament bill
There is he said. mo more shame
less falsehood than the imputation that
the French armament bill was the
cause of the German bill being sub
mitted'
FALsEHooD HINT REBUkED
Il trust you do not refer to members
| OF this house with your remark about
shameless falsehoods,'' snid President
Kaempf.
Il had the Spanish parliament in
mind when l spoke" said Scheidemann,
grayely.
A burst of laughter from all parts
of the house followed but Kaempf did
not join in it. He listened while
Scheidemann. finished his speech, and
then, half hour after his former re-
mark, said solemnly.
You said that you had the Spanish
parliament in mind when you spoke of
| shameless falsehoods The remark,
| however. might be construed as re-
| ferring to the reichstag. 1 call you to
order
former president of the Prussian
diet once called to order a delegate
who had asserted that war ''is a re-
! proach upon God" Such an expression,
said the president, was an insult to
gGermany's great emperor warrior and
particularly to William I.
MEMORABLE LESSON
Before the reichstag adjourned. June
80, President Kaempf said that the
days session would live as one of the
most memorable in its history. His
words did not exaggerate the i'm
portance of the work done by the
house on that day, for this included
the bill increasing the peace strength
of the army by 1856, men, as we'll as
the financial bills rendered necessary
by it,
These latter include two classes Of
bills, one for meeting expenses to be
incurred in organizing the new forces,
building forts, barracks and other ex-
traordinary purposes; the other for de-
fraying the yearly expenses of the
! increased military footing.
The first class of taxes which are to
bring in at least $40, 900. .001, consists
of a direct tax on property and in
comes, and it wiz be distributed over
uated scales, under which the largest
fortunes pay SIS per thousand. and the
largest incomes (these of $4,000 or
more) pay SIS per hundred. Foreigners
resident in Germany must pay on the
same scale as Germans
TAX ON WEALTH INCREASES
The permanent taxes consist of
tax on the yearly increase in wealth
from all sources. certain stamp taxes
hitherto belonging to the state. an
increase of the existing inheritance
taxes and the appropriation by the
imperial government of intestats
estates where there are no near heirs.
part Of the revenue also viii be OBJ
tanned by retaining til sugar tax at its
present level. instead of reducing it
by 40 per cent as a resolution of the
reichstag some four years ago de-
manded
The total amount expected from this
T class of taxes is about $4,000. 600. An
interesting feature Of the tax on in
creases of wealth is that 1t includes
linheritances of children from the es
tates of their parents. Thus the inher-
ttance tax, whose rejection by the
reichstag ain 1909 caused the resigna
ton of Prince Bulow. has now been
adopted in indirect way.