Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 132, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 June 1913 — PRINCES TO PAY TAX [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRINCES TO PAY TAX

Germany Has Overturned Precedents to Maintain Army.

Rulers of the Different States Hesitate Between Patriotism and Thrift, but Will Have to Make a Show of Generous Giving.

Berlin.—Two and twenty sovereign German princes are hesitating; between the rival virtues of patriotism and thrift They cannot decide whether it is sweeter to pay the new war tax, or to put their savings into some brewery stocks. The trouble is that this is the first time the twentytwo kings, grand dukes, dukes and princes have ever been asked to pay a pretty stiff tax on their accumulations.

Now, in a fit of patriotism begotten of the 1813 centennary, Wilhelm 11. has forsworn his resistance; he is ready to be taxed and the other one

and twenty sovereigns have had to follow him. All that is known now is that there will be a “non-recurring contribution” from the capital of real and personal property; and that it will probably amount to one per cent. This the sovereigns must pay. There may also be a new imperial income tax, and this the sovereigns may have to pay also. - A Dresden official newspaper criticises the scheme, and this means that King Friedrich August does not like It Of all German princes, except the young Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Friedrich August is the thriftiest Even sovereigns who are willing to pay are said to feel uneasy. For It is the initial step that counts. For the first time in history the sacred principle that royalties are tax-free is broken. , • “If we may be taxed for any army Increase,” reason the sovereigns, “why may we not for a navy Increase,

for an education increase, or even for old age pensions?” The sovereigns feel all the more doubtful because each complains of suffering from chronic poverty. Kaiser Wilhelm, it seems, feels this most. He has the biggest income, but he is only the fifth richest person In Prussia. Richer than him are Frau Bertha Krupp, who possesses 171,000,000; Prince Henvkel von Donnersmarck, whoi has $63,000,000; Baron von Gold-schmidt-Rothschild of Frankfurt with $40,000,000, and the Duke of Ujest with $37,000,000. After these comes Kaiser Wilhelm with a miserable $35,000,000. Kaiser Wilhelm’s forests and fields are valued at $17,500,000; his forty palaces, country houses, castles and shooting boxes at $10,000,000, and his land sites in Berlin at $4,500,000. That accounts for $32,000,000 out of the $35,000,000. Wilhelm 11. also has land in Westphalia and the Rhine province of unknown value. No other sovereign or prince will pay anything like Kaiser Wilhelm. The crown prince is worth $3,700,000. Kaiser Wilhelm’s brother, Henry? has estates which are worth $2,000,000. Altogether, the kaiser and these relatives are worth $51,500,000. The utmost they will pay in tax is $530,000. “Is it worth while,” ask the hard-up sovereigns, “for the sake of these beggarly sums, to rob us of our privileges and treat us as if we were ordinary men?” They ask themselves that in decent secrecy.

DUKE of SAXE WEIMAR

DUKE of SAXE CO BURG AND GOTHA

PRINCE of SHAUMBURG LIPPE