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

difference how Germany comes out
from a military standpoint, for
France, Italy and England are going
to be weakened and broken that they
won't be able to compete with us We
are looking toward the future conf
IDENTIFY"
Ths middle ground, so to speak, is
taken by DR.. Schmidt, economic expert
of the Victoria Insurance Company,
one of the largest concerns of its kind
in Germany. DR.. Schmidt not only
has to deal Intimately with the COM
it's scores Of thousands of policy hold
ers and is n position to know the
probable effect of taxation on the mas
SEES. He declares that it probably las
pascTd through the minds of countless
If not all employers that increases may
be necessary, but feels that the aver
age employer is not usually 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 gem
era1 has shown himself throughout the
war to be self sacrificing and thought
full of those dependent on him
DIR. Schmidt disputes theoretically
the claim of labor leaders that the re-
turning soldiers after the war are go
ing to depress wages, and upho1ds the
contention of Herr Bergmann and
need for some time to come all the
workers she can get, merely to re-
supply herself. DIR. Schmidt adds
that the size of a mans income really
has less to do with his expenditures
than has his own individuality. 'eWhat
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 RET ,encA4rnents
nature He anticipates both new i'm
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.
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 Ger
many's largest banks, who looks at
the matter from the standpoint of the
salaried employee rather than that of
the wage-earning workman.
He is confident that the heavy tax
alton following the war VIII necessi
tate a general advance in Doth saiar-
les and wages, and that this in turn
will cause q siowing-up in the crea-
The war, however. he says, has re-
vealed Germany's economic strength
in a new light which mall a new
scale of measurements nee ry, and
that that which earlier seemed an inn
possible task now seems much easier
The burden of the new taxation, he
declares, will not be as great as SUI
perhcia11y appears, for there is likely
to be a good indemnity coming to
Germany. The Empires war outlay
he estimates, at a probable so billion,
marks Twelve and q half billions of
dollars.1
The new measure for raising and re-
paying this sum with its interest
charges he believes will take a va
riety of forms, such as monopolies on
articles like tobacco and cigarettes
Many of the economic measures
adopted during the war, such as to the
bread cards. he predicts will be re-
tanned in the Interest of necessary
economy.
The existing restrictions upon the
Empires tax practice-reserviEg 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 1t will take Ger
many some six or seven years to re-
cuperate from the war. The recupe-
ration however, will be much more
rapid even than was the startling
rapid recuperation of France after the
war Of 1870-7I
Retrenchrnent is the watch word of
the great ma5oroity of laynen of those
who are puzzlfng in advance over the
after-the-war taxation problem. They
hope for booming business conditions,
possible indemnities and other favor
able turns. but they believe that in
economy rather than by increases of
wages that hit employer even while
they help employees is Germany going
to be enabled speedily to pay its debts
The general lay view Is voiced by
Count Kospoth, a member of the
House of Lords of the Prussian Diet,
who declares that even a doubling of
present taxes will raise only an
amount equal to a drop of water in the
ocean, and that the bulk of the debts
must be hquidated by strict economy.
Count Kospoth's doctrine is hailed
by everyone as sound, but not a few
have smiled at its declarations, for he
is man of comparative wealth. His
YOeenm endations that Germans be
content to ride in street cars instead of
taxica BIS, and to do with four hunters
instead of eight, hardly appeals to the
poorer classes.
He predicts openly that eonf1scatien
of private property will be necessary,
but he dislikes the sound of the word
conhscation and finally comprises by
fortunes" Many again agree to this
argument, but they also smile once
more when they contemplate the con-
fscation of the fortunes of the ave-
rage workman.
go back to the simple life of our
forefathers," he urges, and cites the
parsimony of Frederick William III.
in eating a few cents worth of fruit
and turning his coat so that its shab-
biness would not show, He predicts
confidently that the German nation
which has SO bravely and unfalter-
ingly given it's sons in its cause, viii
even more willingly give its money
to settle the national debt.
The extent of the probable debt Of
Germany after the war is at present
favorite topic of discussion in the
newspapers of the empire. The
Naehrichten seems to
take middle ground with it's estimate
that the total debt-merely from the