BISMARCK'S FINANCIAL. POLICY.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 98, 16 August 1879, Page 3

BISMARCK'S FINANCIAL. POLICY.

Cnder diilu of May 3, the Ik-wild's Berlin eorrospondent si.s: ■ In the German Parliament, tins action which is to overthrow tlio old forms ami rules, mid which is to ciahlish ;i liuiuiciiil iiiUepeiiduiict) for the Empire has begun, mid is to he fulfilled during the next few .lavs. On the first day of tho general debute regarding tho tax mid duty question, only Prince Bismarck and the former Minister, D.dbruek, spoke. The Chaueello l , who in his speech touched on the interests of all the closes of tho population, demanded above all a quick decision from the Parliament. He mentioned that fora long timoPrussia had not introduced any tax reforms on account ol the relations of the various States to the Zollverein. Therefore, the devolopcment of the tax and duty department in Germany was i -\\ behind that of other countries. The idea of reforms j in this department first appeared when the North German C'unfcdoßitioii and the limpire ivero founded. Then he ■,tne Chancellor) did nut at once undertake reforms, because lie did not regard it as his first duty, and, bucatwo also" his bud health and tfie oucrbilrdeii of business kept him from it. Now the case was different. He had for the last few vears studied the matter deeplv, and as ho found that the relatMUS botvveen Oermany and the other Btatoa wore of such a nature as to demand speedy and thorough change*, he had i eivcil full ■ oouvietionthnt informs were most urgently necessary. His Brat motive for reforms was the absolute necessity of financial independence for the Empire, this necessity being willingly recognized by all. Tho contributions of thu different States to the general exchequer were vqry unequal, the iucome must be increased, and he {the Chancellor) desired this to be achieved in thu least burdensome form. ; He thought that we had too many direct 1 and too lew indirect taxes. ; U u\ ho proposed tp reverse this order. The lVineo then touched upon the subject of tho income, and mentioned his opinion that Civil servuitt should not have to pay it. Ho besides declared it a mistake, that distinction was made between movable and immovable property. After this the Prince showed that no industry was as highly taxed as agriculture, and that native labour received in no way the protection which it ought to have. He would not discuss fro > trade and protection, but ons thing was clear, that Germany had become the mere store-house for tho ovnr pro luetiou of other countries. Germany must, therefore, shut her gate- ami must take care that, her own market, which is now monopolised t b\ orei r» wuies s'.a'l bo rMcrvfcl for

her own hone indu-trv. Other eoan tii- which had done this had I great, and others with had adopted an •■ policy had fallen behiud. I< protection wen' ao greol they were generally thouj il : would i:. iV e been ruined long ago, while m fact she wua getting tu< re and inor i prosperous, even ofter having paid the live milliards to Germany. A:,d Russia with her protection was also niarv< llously prosperous, Muuufocturers in Russia had been able to save lately from III) to • - r> per cent., and all this toagreal extent only at the cost of the German market. The Chancellor then begged the Parliament to consider that the question befoio them was not n political, but a linauci one, and that they should then loi pul aside ull |ieisonal feelings, besides he begged them to .l-,!.],. » ... :1 , j„. w | l 0 quickly gave, gave double, and the ceo- . lioiuie interests of tl„, K:„pi: V . ,1 ..;,..:.,,,. ,| a speedy solution of the mal ter. The speech of tho Chancellor was so jexclusively directed to the advantages | of the system of the indirect, taxes in op- )» sition to that of the direct taxes was if it I was the question to overthrow the substance of the whole existing tuxes and j duties, and to introduce such financial reforms as tho world has not yet witnessed. Should only the tenth part of all this be realised, what the Chancellor now calls the most urgent necessity of the present times, and which heproves by such j striking social-political arguments that tjt: we.,. :v leiui.llr- fa'l IwjK b..v...1 i them, then the tariff reform could not | be tinishud for this session nor for the whole year lh~l). Neither the Empire nor the single .States are able to answer those questions which the Chancellor has stirred up, with the material which for the i lent is at their disposal. It would require the earnest work of years I for settling the basis for all those indirect : '.axe.-, vine!, in future woi;'..'; have [,. | cover tho wants of the State. It. would be necessary tu take all the direr! taxes ! again from the hands i f the c. nmiunijties, ami a! the sn time to change all ; the iliivel {axes into indiivel ones, : md to pul them on the communities. | After Prince iiisluarek oul\ one otlici city in <■ iinineivial and unum-al ~e.e,. tions. lie warned the Hon,., to beware

I ton yams, a- thereby certain imi-i-iiu-; 01 |e>.p,,rt industry would ii, tii" high si i llu-ii e mtiii-i-il I'Vaiio' iin i I ; B r i.anv | in this respect, pro\iug by statistics Unit I ill till' follliel ;.,- customs i.n ~ ;;., ;i vara jiiiv wry high compared with tli •. •' in | the latter, and twit, though tin: imports arn thrice as great i:s in liciiiianv, tin: export is only a third. The debutl- :::■, j Iheiiadjmina-d loth.; ii, xt (lav. Then tin; speakers iif tin.' diifeivnt t'l-uc-tiuiis began t.i.-::- -p. .■.••:■•, regarding the plannoc 1 ' Kl'uriiH. ll was particularly iutcivstiti!; party [Mr. I'. lloiehenspergerj proved a thorough .I'rotocaoih.si, mill >iip;i.ii i.-,l the now tariil'us serving the interests ui' all. il is opinion was that tho present state of ulnars could not go on, but. that tin' commercial policy must In- thoroughly changed, an.J tm,- system ol protection must ')" accepted in oho sense which the Uovcrninoiil of lli" realm proposed. Loud acclamations uf the. I 'ciilro and the Conservatives accompanied these words uf tlm speaker, wuo a! the close of his speoeii, characterised the position of his liarty, concerning the piaus »t the UhanceUnr iu the iViliowin;,' manner: - They upproved his pioposals under the condition that an unconditional guarantee was given tiicin; tli.il the Ladgot'shou'd, cveiy year he approved and settled hy 't!ie" I'urliuiiicut; and that, whalevei ill • iueoine should he the expenses should never surpass the budget. It was necessary luat the Federal Council, who had" made the Import iillU Tax iiills, should also bring this guaririlce before the House in the form of a bill. The speaker said this in the name of the gn at majority of his political friends. Tin; Central party will therefore not only vol" for protection, bill also for the taxes and the linanciul duties ou the whole, always supposed that tho demand of the constitutional guarantees will be fullilled hy Government. /After Mr. Ueieheiispelgi r, a decided representative- of free trade j within the national Liberal fraction, Mr. Bamberger, gave a speech ■.(<"■> and a| | half hours length. Referring to lin; j I many prumi - ■ which tho i :iiancellor had I made tin; tJ.-i v More, he iirst ol all ilo- 1 I dared, that* since the la»l six ilhs

I Germany hail i>ul before it ;i problem of Mich extent, that it was impossible to solve it iii the shiirt time ivhicU ri maiiied !to the Parliament for these sessions. He : then pointed mil how ibtngeroiis lie I thought it, to make changes in the tax I and duty department in a tuoiuout when I the social democrats had by means of force only just been subdued, and to represent the matter in such a light M if Only 1 huso had to pay taxes who had u ti'rin iuoome of above 0"000 marks yearly. Jt'oneo matters were started in this way, the Chancellor would soon be met by other socialistic demands, which would bpdllUcult to refuw. Regarding protection, the qwakqr aiia, that thoeo commissions which Imd beau formed ml order to trv und elucidate the material I with which the bUli had been worked out, had baan iwad from Ihe beglunlngm such a manner n« to m«ka thorn j» ir* - for protection, Mr. Bauibunjoi clonwl bJ»»piiob,by.«ayfngthttl tho adherents of tlie former ooiiniieieial policy were i without rwpoiwibiiity, flu I »tu ■■ n could attdwOiMpKivi wbobadd mi D n

! V\ :| " "' :f: < i I th. country, thei 01 • ' • a Opponents. full red thi •; • ■■,. -■.. .. _ ■.. heard in the Parliament r . - .. ~; Vean wa» violent) iugoftke ' onrervativee an ! :i., b m .,- audit took ■-■• time before ~„:.-, u ■■ ~ : ■• d ... the He- 'llii ii the Pros. tdaii Minister of finance who ha I entered during the last speech, took, up I n »'}d oppose I the ideas of Mi, Bamburger which he had espre -•! regun i '' ''■'■•' '■-■■■'■ - ■ I Prince Bftmarcks reformatory pluus upon the Social si move, went. His opinion was, thai the maun< i eveu in whieb Mr. Hamburger hod torn bed this subject would have an n«j. ••'■■' ■ eh". •:. The Socialist lav «is i"„| intended to suppress economical mistakes, bin moral mistakes. On the third day a. member of the Progressionists .„„; v j,,;,.„ ; | v ~,. tacked the system of I'ri Uisn.arek, butchiellv lioui political reasons. Others spokenguin forthc<,'lmiiccllor'sphm« IV to this hour the situ, .ion is not yet cleared and thcdissussioiis will certainly last several days'longcr. Thef actioas-aro not unanimous in themselves, and the result is, therefore, not yet to be guessed. It is generally believed that the Chancellor will remain the viae:-. The fact that the Central party does support the Kuaiieial poKev of Prince liismarck may he regarded " as the first stop on the road to peace. Thai a locon>n ■, ispec;,::!. is e. :;h-:ueO ' > another sensational event. The leader "I the Central fraction, the former llanovarian Miuisler, Deputy Windthorst, was last Saturday invited to the Parliamentary soiree of the Chancellor, and was received with especial politeness and Iricudliness by Princess Bisuiurek. Hew U indtjiorst was, for the first ti the guest of the Chancellor. It is onlv natural that this little incident should cause much sensation, and that the stran t conjectures should he attache ! to il Herr Windtlmr t certainly had his reasons when formerly he remained awav from :'; ;: Chancellor's, and ho certainly has now his iea-,.ns kli:u he gees to" visit the Chancellor. Herr Windthorst formerly repeatedly said that with the end of the Ivniiurkiiiupf his political part would also he ill an end. N,w we see him ' make a pei-sbiial peaiv with his oppo. | nents, eve,, heforc the formal end of the strug;,de. A few .lays ago we read in! ••:.e m| inn !n .' iiiforuie i pnp-rs, that n ! !'■ ■■■■ ■■= n" : ■'■ • ( ntr ■■■ ';, 'eeorilve I money, and even so ni'ieh :u nicy to the realm, co-ild nut hj- inimictd to t.Jio Kmpi'-''- Tn ■■ reasoning -■ :,.- indeid , i-ct. Il iss lei Jain tii-r- ■- :i ■oe.n ~r t in throwing a l.ri.L-e l,n ve i, tv |i nent-. and the , ; ;.:,,. ~.lil hj led from the Central party to the i '!ianve!!,,r's Lonisliing tn see p-iiitiea! opjionent:- in a | frien.ily social intercourse, and ill this | case it is only -trange t > se ■ siv.-b a mi.l- ! i|,. n change going on from total estrange- I nent to friendly r.-lati :,-. The v.;.,. ;., eoine at last (nan understanding is iptifo ju.-tified, only we cannot fane'.- how mat-tei-s will goon afterwards. \\Y can oidv sup;ios,2 thai the last •■vents g, to s'n ,\v that tin 'Chancel lor makes thedissulution of the Central partv uol mger acoirlition for pea e wi'h I! , am! that 11.-n Wiiidt'ionsthasiuilerstoodhowuse!,.,. ~, istocppealtotheKinperor. It will hn difficult for the population to follow these changes as ,p,iek!y as \ thev are nctsmiplised, and i! will lake , some time oefnre ideas, which haw been much troubled lately, will again h.ive|