New Britain herald., 1916-02-18

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 no difference how Germany comes out from military standpoint for France Italy and England are going to be 1 weakened and broken that they won't 1 be able to compete with us. We are 1 looking toward the future confident 1 1y"
 Takes Middle Ground. l The middle ground, so to speak, is taken by Dr. Schmidt, economies expert of the Victoria Insurance com- | pany, one of the largest concerns of 1 it's kind in Germany, pr. Schmidt not only has to deal intimately with the company's thousands of employees but with its scores of thousands of policy holders, and is in a position to know the probable effect of taxation on the masses. He declares that it probably has passed through the minds of countless if not all employers that increases may be necessary, but feels that the average employer is not us- ually altruistic and that therefore raises must be forced by those who need them. This in spite of the fact that the German employer and man of means in general has shown him. self throughout the war to be self sacrificing and thoughtful of those dependent on him.
 Dr. Schmidt disputes energetically the claim of labor leaders that the re- turning soldiers after the war are go- ing to depress wages, and upholds the contention of Herr Bergmann and others that Germany needs and will need for some time to come all the nY~1y ell, supply herself. Dr. Schmidt adds that the size of a mans income really has less to do with his expenditures than has his own individuality. What comes in and how you come out bear little relation to each other" is the way he puts it. Expanding on this Idea, he declares that whether in creases in salaries come or not, Ger many will be able to meet any new taxation by means of retrenchments. simply because Germany IS saving by nature. He anticipates both new lm- perial taxes and indirect assessments. The former he prefers because they cost less to collect but he believes both will be necessary, and hopes on the whole for an increase in pay to meet them.
 Rise in Salaries.
 The best representative Of the out and out believers that Germany is to see a general and all around rise in salaries is the director of one of Ger many's largest banks, who looks at the matter from the standpoint of the sa1aried employe rather than that or the wage-earning workingman
 He is confident that the heavy taxa ton following the war will necessitate
 S~, lo ,Joy> >inS nd wages, and that this in turn will cause a slowing-up in the creation of new capital for investment. The war, how ever. he says, has revealed Gerr1any's economic strength in a new light which makes a new scale of measure ments necessary, and that that which earlier seemed an impossible task now seems much easier. 1a--.
 The burden of the new taxation, he declares, will not be as great as su- perficially appears for there is like lv to be a good indemnity coming to Germany The empires war outlay, he estimates at a probable fifty bll- lion marks (twelve and half millions nf dollars).
 Variety of Forms.
 The new measure for raising and repaying this sum with it's interest charges he believes will take a variety of forms, such as monOpol1eS on articles like tobacco and cigarettes Many of the economic measures adopted during the war, such as the bread cards, he predicts will be re- tained in the interest of necessary economy.
 The existing restriction upon the empires tax practice-raserving in come and general property taxes to the states-he thinks will be swept away and replaced by imperial taxes of this sort.
 He estimates that it will take Ger many some six or seven years to re- cuperate from the war The recupera- ton, however, will be much more rapid even than was the startling rapid remuneration of France after the war of 187071.
 Retrenchment Watch-Word.
 Retrenchment is the watch-word of the great majority of laymen of those who are puzzling in advance over the after-the-war taxation prob len They hope for booming busi- ness conditions, possible :ndemnities and other favorable turns, but they believe that in economy rather than by increases of wages that hit em- ployer even while they help employees is Germany going to be enabled speed fly to pay it's debts.
 The general lay view is voiced by Count Kospoth a members of the house of lords of the Prussian dict,