The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-15

This sum, added to the interest on the
war loans, past and prospective, raises
Germany's future tax budget to about
six million marks Cor enc and a half
billion doIIars) a year.
The Nachrichten predicts that this
be raised. It predicts taxes on war
sum will be raised wherever It can
be raised. 1t predicts taxes on war
profits and on every form of increase
of fortunes, direct and indirect. The
yearly burden will be as great, says
the paper, as the combined incomes of
all Germans who receive more than
five thousand dollars, ana the princi-
pal equal to the combined fortunes of
all German mi11ionaires
The possible effect of war indemni-
ties is a favorite topic of speculation
with many newspapers. The Berlin
er Tageblatt insists that it were f'rniS-
taken and politically dubious" to try
at the present time to estimate what
taxes are going to be, or to attempt to
work out the problem until the in
demnity matter is definitely settled.
It cautions, to be sure, against the
building UP of any hope that the in
IDENTITIES will he very great, and att
tacks certain unnamed newspapers
which of late have amused themselves
by working out mathematical and A.
nanciaI problems by counting on ALI
sorts of huge indemnities. by indulg-2
ing, as the Tageblatt says, in weird
games with figures"
The Tageblatt is content merely to
estimate that the taxes undoubtedly
will be heavy, very heavy and that
monOpolies in all proba bility Will be
necessary. It expresses absolute con-
fidence in the ability of DIR. Helmerich,
secretary of State for the treasury, to
determine wisely what the best meth
Cd of taxation shall be and how much
will be necessary, w thout impairing
the economic life of the people.
eff passablef roads are chosen" the
Tageblatt concludes, s'the German
Empire will be able to raise the neces-
sary taxes without, to use the now
popular expression, having to starve
itself in the effort Our people will
not be lacking in the needed spirit of
self-sacrifice and willingness to do
press is to awaken this spirit and keep
it awake"
In varying ways. members of the
Reichstag, regardless of party af11h-
ations, indicate expectation that the
tax problem. and therefore the wage
problem, is going to depend on the
size of the indemnity which Germany
may receive. Each man interviewed
gave expression to the confident be-
lias that the Empire will receive
something from its present opponents
when the final accounts are cast up.
One representative of the center
party, not personally accounted rad
zeal, placed his estimate of the prob
able indemnity on an even basis with
the indebtedness incurred by Germany
during the war-over six billions OF
dollars to date-and would not grant
that State of affairs could arrive
which would so impoverish every ma
ton involved that no one could pay
such staggering sum-
s'It is foolish to try to delude our
selves into thinking he said, chat
our opponents are anywhere near
financial exhaustion, any more than
we are near it ourselves. At least
two of them are potentially rich, and
can and will pay our demands when
the end comes. Until we can tell !
just how favorable our position at the
end is going to be it is idle to speculate !
about what our own economic situa- |
ton after the war will be-