The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-28
PRESENT GERMAN GOVERNMENT IS
 FACING A CRISIS
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argue: Tt is not our fault that you have to pay more but the fault of our opponents. Vote for us this time"
 Needless to say. if the voter harken to this appeal, they will still have to pay the increased taxes or submit to a foreign administration of our finances like old Turkey did But undoubtedly. the nationalist would welcome such a development for it would stir up a white-hot la- tired of all foreigners.
 May Go to Polis
 | If this question goes to the polls, the social democrats will be the op- position side, although their repre- senta tives now head the ministries of the treasury and domestic econo- my. This party's oldest plan de- mandsN that the capitalists shall pay and that indirect taxes shall not be levied. This cry is reaction to cen- turies of abuse. when all the burdens were heaped upon the lower classes with the privileged escaping Far | into the nineteenth century the idea prevailed as expressed by French archbishop when Cardinal Richelieu demanded 6,000,00 francs from the church. The church gives 1t pray CTS. the nobility their blood and the common people their fortunes"
 But can Germany obtain the inn mense sums needed from the small capitalists? This year, with 46o0o,- 100000 of marks arrears on repa4a- tions, Dr. Wirth asks for 150, ,o00, ,000,- 900, of which 100000, ,000,000 are to come from new taxes. Sugar, already .out of the reach of the people, is 10 be taxed half a mark a pound moro. It is impossible to eliminate the in direct taxes entirely, but they should hit alcohol and tobacco and the lux uries. The social democrats com plain that the 10 per cent tax on wages makes 1t impossible for the workman to dodge taxes like the capitalists. and propose to cover our debt by seizing gold values land, buildings industrial enterprises and anything which has not been turned into paper. They propose to take a first mortgage on these properties, using the proceeds to lower the if.- direct and wage taxes which hit the people.
 The landlords, the captains of in dustry and the merchants naturally oppose this violently. regarding it as the first step toward a nationaliza- tion of property.
 1 Hard Struggle
 | A hard struggle Is in progress, as every party hostile to the new tax plans is gaining adherents rapidly. There is growing anger, too against the innumerable regulations and petty inquisitive controls of the new government, while everybody real iizes that no control will enable the government to take the great war booty from the profiteers
 The law says that all profits ex- ceeding 170000 marks shall go to the state, but the law is extensi yely lodged as the ostentatious luxury of the Nouveaux riches plainly shows. But what about the Nouveaux p:iuv- reS--the educated people, officials and the small profiteers? They do not command big capital or massed votes. and hence they vainly wall their distress.
 Everything is becoming dearer daily. Coal is rising and money is operating of printing presses. The creases in prices, and as a conse- quence there must come an increase in wages. The miners already are demanding 40 per cent more. This will increase the production costs everywhere. and must bring about further wage increases until the vi- cious circle cracks and Germany's in- dustriai machine collapses.
 Meanwhile, the political danger grows, and one hears increasing talk on the streets of not only the next war; but "the next emperor"