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Show nam lis HI 8EVEWUES Citizens Drinking Less Ciianpijiie. Not Smoking So Much, but Consuming Sugar Under Un-der Low Tax. Flnanco Minister Von Stengel Says Thcro's a Gloomy Outlook for Kaiser's Realm. BERLIN. Dec. 3. Six million fewer bottles of champagno wero drunk in Germany during tho first six months of tho fiscal year, and 8,000,000 fewer clgar3 woro smoked, as appears from tho figures fig-ures which Flnanco Minister Von Stengel Sten-gel submitted to tho Reichstag today. Tho wlno and tobacco revenues show a fulling off of T&75.000, while tho uso of spirits Increased, as Is evident from tho $2,500,000 addition to tho rovenues from distilling. Among othor curiosities tho budget shows an Increaso of 52,037,500 In the revenues rev-enues from sugar slnco tho, Brussels sugar su-gar convention,' nnd a reduction In tho revenues from' tho domestic sugar tax, showing lower prices of sugar and greatly great-ly increased consumption. Tho revenues for tho year ending March 31 aro largor by $375,000 than tho estimates. esti-mates. Thero Is an Incroaso of $2,500,000 from posts and tolegraphs and Jl,70,000 from tho Alsace-Lorraine lallroads, moro than offsetting tho deficits In othor Imperial Im-perial departments. Customs Receipts Less. Discussing the prospects of tho current year, ending next March, Minister Von Stengel aald tho customs rccolpts at tho ond of Oclobor were $3,000,000 less than In 1903, duo to tho diminution of grain Imports. The railroad and postofflco receipts re-ceipts were better than expected, but tho surpluses will bo used up by Improvements. Im-provements. "In a period of financial ebb," MInl3-tor MInl3-tor Von Stengel explained, "In which not only was thoro no surplus, but deficits from past years had to be met and In which unexpected expenditures were necessary nec-essary for tho insurrection In German Southwest Africa, It was not posslblo to lighten tho burdens of Individual states, ond It wart necessary to lssuo largo omounts of treasury notes. 1 think It may bo necessary for tho rest of the fiscal fis-cal year to lssuo treasury bills to tho fullest extent permitted by law, or even to request tho Rolchstag to extend tho limit." Must Raise Money. f- Contlnulng. Baron Von Stengel sald'v" uas no fso to clrcumlocuto. Solf-decon tlon was dangerous. Looking tha sltuit?" tlon straight Tn tho face, a loan of 573. "-250,000 "-250,000 must bo raised, of which S19.2o0.000 was In consequence of the regrotablo coidltlons In German Southwest Africa and $11, 025.000 must bo appllod to rc-arm-am.ents for tho army. Whether furthor credits for Gorman Southwest Africa would be necessary must be left to fu-turo fu-turo decision. "Tho Interest on tho public dobt," tho Minister pointed out, "rises from $20,-000,000 $20,-000,000 to 52S.000.000. This should be an earnest warning not to go on contracting contract-ing debt.3 as hitherto, but to provide a regular plan for their extinguishment" Referring to tho increasing expenditure expendi-ture for military ponMons, which have already consumed $70,000,000 from the principal of tho capital, sot asldo years ago with tho intention of devoting only tho Interest for tho assistance of pensions. pen-sions. Baron Von Stengel remarked that tho present rate of expenditure will con-sumo con-sumo tho whole capital by 1910. Ho adds: "What calamity will como over the Imperial finances when In 1910 the treasury must suddenly undertake tho entire pension expondlluro cannot be foreseen. Beyond 1305 I see vory gloomy prospects. Even putting dwn tho Insurrection In-surrection lr South Africa will not remove re-move tho difficulties as tho Increased Interest In-terest and payments of tho permanont charge on tho revonuo under tho present sjstcm cannot go on, but thero must bo no diminution In tho oxpendlturo of tho defenses of tho Nation on land or sea. Wo must Increaso our rovenues." Minister Von Stcngol suddenly ended his speech at tho moment' when the House asked him to propose fresh sources of revenue. War Minister Von Eincm defended tho new military proposals. |