GET-RICH-QUICK WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 197, 30 April 1915, Page 8

GET-RICH-QUICK WAR.

WEALTH FOR MORIBUND GERMAN FIRMS. ROTTERDAM, Sunday. The Berlin dorrespondenty of ttWe Amsterdam Telegraaf, in his latest letter to his newspaper, deals with the war from a point of view which has not hitherto been brought to public notice. He says: "Fcr some business men the war has decidedly a pleasant side. Many of the people are making big profits out of the universal unrest, and are thriving, whlie millions are sacrificing themselves on the altar of patriotism. Factories that rarely or never yielded a profit before are rolling in money.

"Thus an engineering concern at Dusseldorf which never paid a single cent, in dividends made a profit surplus of £75,000 during the first two months of the war. A good many mills, after writing off enormous profits and raising their reserve funds, are ahle ! to pay dividends of 15 and 20 per cant. For millers the .war has been an agreeable surprise. A hose factory in Berlin, which had not paid a dividend for the last six years, has during five months of war made a profit of £7943, and has created a special reserve fund 'of £1250 and paid 10' per cent, to its smiling shareholders. "Nor have private persons been Jeft out in the cold. Thus the Muenchener Post tells the story of a horse-dealer ■ who made a profit of £IOO,OOO en the sole of 5000 hcrses. The Schoeneberger Zeitung mentions a wholesale I peiato denier who stored sixty-eight tons c r potatce s which ho was wiring to sell for 2s Cd a 1001 b. Whan th? Minister rf Agriculture raised the j price the denier could not sell them fcr le-s than 5s i)d a hundred pounds. "A lively discussion is going or. in Germ ft ny regarding the new tuxes which will probably be introduced by Herr Helfferich, the Finance Minister. Without fresh sources of income the interest on loans cannot be paid. Some optimists arc reckoning on the indemnities Avhich Germany will claim from her enemies on the conclusion of peace. But sensible people do not reckon on the proceeds from the sale, of castles in the a ir. "The municipal taxes have already been increased from 20 to 40 per cent. On Wednesday, when tlic Reichstag again meets, Herr Helfferich will submit his programmc ; which will cause many a patriotic heart to turn faint. The first war loan of £200,000,000 odd requires £11.250,000 for interest, while in LOIB-1020 the Treasury Bills have to be redeemed. : • "Germany is now facing the second loan. It is unknown yet how much this loan will yield, but supposing it is £100,000,000 the interest to be paid will be another £7,500,000. The sums thus far spent for the purpose of the war have not been published. When it is remembered that the income of the State has considerably diminished and rhat the import duties on agricultural products have dried tip, it will be rpfidily understood how dark is the fume with regard to the prospect of the lU"W fa :•:!>:-'. ' '