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 ; —
3 K 2
