Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-05-01
MANY PEOPLE
ARE SUPPORTED
In Austria By Levy On. The
J. Tax-Payers. According TO The
Eight O'clock.
Associated Press

VIENNA, May 1-One flfth OF
the population of Austria, 1900, 900.
members of the families of Central,
provincial and municipal government
employees, are supported by sthe tax
payers, according to the. paper NEW
EIGHT O'CLOCK, in an article ques-
tioning a statement by the Finance
Minister, DIR. Reisch.
In the negotiations recently con-
cluded between the Cabinet Council
and employees of the Central Govern.
ment for general inereasein salaries
and allowances the top heayiness of
the Austrian governmental machine
was revealed. Foreign observers and
investigators having to do with the
peace settlement have repeatedly COM
mented on the extravagant number of
civil servants employed in all depart
ments.
Dr.. Reisch admitted in the discus
sions that the civil list numbered 22O,
600 persons. The NEW EIGHT
O'CLOCK, however, challenged those
figures as too low and declared that
if the various liquidation commissions
and other positions created under af-
| srr war conditions were taken into
consideration it would be. shown that
there are not far from 300, 900 govern
ment employees.
Austria has only 100000 popula-
| l. I'D oo4
ernment salary supports a family OF
| four. The newspapers generally are
uniting in demand that the civil list
be reduced by theaimmediate dismis-
sal of ten per cent.
The adjustment reached about Mar
Is adds around 1000, 100000 crowns
to the already appalling deficit that
confronts the government. 1t is to be
met by another increase in the price
i of tobacco products and in public util.
| ity rates, such as railway freight anc
passenger. tariffs and possibly postag<
and telegraphs.
About the only concession the gov.
i ernment won was an increase in hour:
of from six to seven a day with the
understanding that a possible exten
sion to an eight-hour day would bt
the subject of further negotiation.
Employees Of the National States o.
provinces, apart from those of the
Central Government, are also de
manding a heavy increase in salarle:
l. RI
an effort to join forces with the latte,
I but this became complicated and wa
defeated by the demand of the mum
icipal employees of Vienna to be ad
mitted to the combination favored b.
the new government scale. Govern
ment servants in Austria, enjoy
special low railway rate but among
the demands they made, which wa
refused, was free transportation.
Figures just compiled show that i
1913 an average of four persons, iv
ing in the most modest manner an
eliminating all luxuries, spent 1857
crowns year while now the sam
: necessities, if available, would cos
), 231 1898 crowns.
The more thoughtful and seriou
newspapers point out that the increa
sed wage scale is only another step
the "vicious circle" and that the ur
controlled merchandizer will put u
;, prices correspondingly. On ever
;, hand the question is asked: Whe
> will the end come? And what then
Meanwhile the government says
cannot decrease the civil list and di:
miss so large a number of men, whe
there is no employment open to then
and emigration is practically prob
bited. 1t would, they say, bring abo'
"a crisis"
In some quarters, it is asserte
the government is powerless to brea
down the old bureaucracy. 1t is
- firmly entrenched relic of the en-
pire, it is said, and to touch it wou
mean political death for the gover
.,.,4 L,,1,o o,,o,,mb to otfamnt IT.