FINANCE

867

Of the various insurance schemes in operation for the benefit of working men, that for insurance against sickness, according to the statistics published in March, 1912, had in 1910 (excepting the ' Knappschaftskassen ' [Societies for Miners] with 885,598 members) 23,188 societies with altogether 13,069,375 members.

Ill the three years 1908-10 the operations showed :-

1908

Members

Cases of Sickness . Days of Sickness . Ordinary revenue £ Ordinary expenditure £.

12,324,094

5,206,148

103,894,299

16,664,567

16,252,724

1909

12,519,785

5,045,793

103,368,412

16,555,266

16,728,187

1910

13,069,375

5,197,080

104,708,104

17.880,858

17,527,258

To the revenue each member contributed in 1910 about 28s. and bore a share of the exi)enditure amounting to about 26s. M. The cost of sickness in 1910 amounted to 16,001, 041Z. of which each member's share amounted to about 24s. 5rf.

Finance.

The common expenditure of the Empire is defrayed from the revenues arising from customs, certain branches of the excise, and the profits of the posts, telegraphs, and State railways. The individual States are assessed to make up any deficit in proportion to population.

The following tables exhibit the revenue and expenditure (in pounds sterling) for five years, beginning April 1, the figures for the last 2 years being budget estimates (20 marks = lZ.) : —

Revenue

Expenditure

Years

beginning

1 April

Ordinal y

£ 131,613,775

140,095,280 1.^5,390,715 137,583,100 152,485,140

Bxtraord. (loans, &c.)

£

33,742,245 7,075,685

10,.«4S,790 6,723,655 4,331,796

Total

£ I

165,356,020 147,170,965 146,239.505 144,306,755 15i),816,936 !

1 Ordinary 1 (recurring and non- recurring)

£

1 131,195,780 138,379,420 135,390,735 137,583,100 152,485,140

Extraord.

(military,

&c.)

Total

1909 1910 1911 1912 1913

£ 32,126,445

12,833,620

10,848,790

6.723.655

6,006,725

£ 163,322,225 151,213,040 146,239,505 144,306,755 158,491,865

The amounts raised by customs, excise, and stamps were as follows (in thousands of pounds sterling) : —

-

1908

1909

1910

62,148 9,927

1911

1912

Customs and excise Stamps .

57,890 5,000

58,193 9,830

63,278 10,859

68,323 12,277

Total .

02,896

68,023

72,075

74,137

80,700

The sums paid in lieu of customs and excise by the parts of the Empire not included in the Zollgebiet are included in the above figures. The share of this direct imperial taxation is about 12s. Ad. per head.

The chief branches of Imperial expenditure, ordinary and extraordinary in 5 j^ears (estimates 'for the last two years) have been in pounds sterling ; —

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