KINGS AND THEIR INCOMES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 113, 26 November 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

KINGS AND THEIR INCOMES.

Acocrding to reliable reports, the war has brought about a decided diminution in the income of the Kaiser. The tearing up of the little "scrap ot paper" has already co6t him personally £5,000,000. W'ihelm, however, Has still a respectable fortune left, if a recent calculation by Herr Martin, an authority on German rich people, u> correct. Wilhelm was supposed to' bu worth £7,000,000, but Herr Martin has pointed out that a trifle ot, roughly, 1. 13,000,000, tn« valuation of the Kaiser's torest landb and forms, has been overlooked. Tins brings up the Royal estate \r> a total of £20,000,000.

The Jvaiser, however, has never been the richest monarch in the world. Tirs honour belongs to the Czar, who on iiis accession came into the Romanoff private estate, yielding about £2,000,000 a year. Beyond that, hits salary amounts to another two millions, betides many profitable investments abroad. There are small expenses to be deducted, sucu as some £500,000 a year to Grand Dukes and Duchesses, but when everything is taken into account the Czar's income is far ahead of that of the Turkish Sultan with his million and a hall, or our own King, who is the poorest in pelf and palaces of all the Uld-W'orld potentates. A State grant of £1,500,000, added to his other revenues, brings the Czar's income up to £8,000,000 a year. Out of this he Ims at least £5,000,000 a year for his private use.

King George receives £470,000 per annum from the State, but little than a fourth of this goes into the privy purse. It would be naturally impossible for our King to live in a manner befitting his rank on an income o* £120,000 or so, but there are miscellaneous revenues from invested funis qnd otiier private sources which heij) to swell the privy purse. The Emperor of Austria, who is also King of Hungary, draws two salaries amounting to £562,500 each. The King of Italy receives £750,000 a year, but has to make allowances to several members of the Royal Family out of n Kiug Alfonso has an allowance of £357,500, a sum which is his own t.) spend as he pleases. Belgium's King receives about £175,000,