416 



GERMANY. 



grants were made for the administrative or- 

 ganization of the new colonies, for new consul- 

 ships, etc. In the field of social - economic 

 legislation the Reichstag acceded to the propo- 

 sition of the Government to extend workmen's 

 insurance to the transportation industry. Bills 

 introduced by the Social Democrats and the 

 Clericals and Conservatives for the establish- 

 ment of a normal work-day, the restriction of 

 female and juvenile labor, and the prohibition 

 of Sunday labor, though the discussion of these 

 questions was welcomed by the Government, 

 made little progress. Windthorst's motion for 

 the repeal of the law of exile against the cler- 

 gy was carried again by a large majority before 

 the prorogation of the Reichstag on May 15. 

 The Bourse tax proposed by the Government 

 was approved. The rate is 1 ^ ir per cent, on 

 Bourse transactions and T ^ per cent, on out- 

 side purchases. The most important work of 

 the session was the revision of the tariff. 



Revision of the Tariff. The general tariff act, 

 introducing high protective duties, was signed 

 by the Emperor, July 15, 1879. In manufact- 

 uring Germany has gained of late years at the 

 expense of other industrial nations ; but farm- 

 ing has become unremunerative, and the in- 

 dustrial progress achieved with difficulty under 

 the conditions of intense competition prevail- 

 ing in Europe has been qualified by a depres- 

 sion in agriculture, continuing in good and bad 

 seasons alike. The idea of protection for agri- 

 culture was more likely to find favor with 

 Prince Bismarck, from the fact that he now 

 relied on the rural class, particularly the large 

 land-owners, for political support. Early in the 

 session of 1884-'85 the Government brought 

 in a bill to amend the tariff of 1879. Its most 

 important feature was a large increase in the 

 duty on foreign grain. In order to prevent 

 the flooding of the market with imported ce- 

 reals and other agricultural produce in antici- 

 pation of the passage of the tariff bill, the Gov- 

 ernment was empowered by a special act in 

 February to levy the proposed duties at once 

 on grain and mill products, and also on bottled 

 wines. The amended tariff act was adopted 

 by the Reichstag on May 22, and published 

 May 28. The vote was 187 to 139, the Con- 

 servatives,, the Reichspartei, a majority of the 

 Center, the Poles, and a number of National 

 Liberals voting for, and the majority of the 

 National Liberals, the German Liberals, the 

 Popularists, and the Social Democrats against 

 the measure. 



The duty on wheat is raised from 1 to 3 

 marks per 100 kilogrammes, also that on rye. 

 On oats and barley, and on malt, a duty of H 

 mark was imposed ; on corn, buckwheat, and 

 other cereals, and also pulse, 1 mark. On rape- 

 seed, peanuts, and certain other oil-fruits, the 

 duty is 2 marks; but cotton-seed and other 

 materials necessary for the German oil-mills 

 are free. On flour and other mill-products the 

 rate is raised from 3 to 7'50 marks. As Ger- 

 many has a treaty with Spain fixing the duty 



on rye at 1 mark per metric quintal until June 

 30, 1887, American rye, under the most-fa- 

 vored-nation treatment secured by the treaty 

 of 1828 with Prussia, can be imported on the 

 same terms. The new tariff places duties on 

 timber and cabinet- wood T20 mark per cubic 

 metre on logs, 1*40 mark on hewn timber, 

 and 6 marks on boards and other sawn timber; 

 on cedar-wood the duty is 25 marks per quint- 

 al, or 150 marks per cubic metre. Watches are 

 taxed from mark to 3 marks. On ornamental 

 feathers and artificial flowers the duty is treb- 

 led. On spirituous liquors the duty is raised 

 from 47 to 80 marks per 100 kilos ; the same 

 duty is levied on foaming wine in bottles, 

 while other wines are charged 47i marks. On 

 meat, fresh or preserved, a duty of 20 marks 

 is laid ; on salt fish, 3 marks ; on pickled, 12 

 marks per 100 kilos. The duties on linen and 

 on silk manufactures are raised. On oysters 

 and lobsters 50 marks are levied, instead of 24. 

 The duties on vegetable oils are increased; 

 that on lard remains 10 marks as before. Soap 

 and candle grease can be imported under con- 

 trol at 2 marks. The duty on petroleum is 6 

 marks the same as before; but lubricating 

 oils, formerly free, are taxed 10 marks. Pe- 

 troleum can be imported for refining purposes, 

 the duty being collected afterward on the illu- 

 minating and lubricating oil manufactured, but 

 none on the by-products. American* oil was 

 already placed at a disadvantage by having to 

 pay duty on the barrels, while Russian oil i 

 brought in cars. A bill was introduced to tax 

 barrels at a higher rate than the oil they con- 

 tained. American petroleum-barrels are found 

 useful for the products of the newly developed 

 petroleum industry of Galicia, in Austria, and 

 help to sell the oil. On live animals the fol- 

 lowing rates of duty are fixed : horses, 20 

 marks; donkeys, mules, and asses, 10 marks; 

 bulls and cows, 9 marks; oxen, 30 marks; 

 calves 3, and young cattle, 6 marks ; sheep, 1 



mark; sucking pigs, 1 mark; lambs, 

 goats, free. Duties were imposed, also, in spite 

 of vigorous protests, on honey, slate, cocoa, 

 sewing-silk, and other articles. In support of 

 the timber duties the ministers argued that the 

 lumbermen would be benefited, and not mere- 

 ly proprietors of forests, and in support of the 

 grain-tax they contested that the duties would 

 be borne in great measure by foreign import- 

 ers, and the price of bread not affected. 



The Prussian Landtag. The Prussian Diet 

 closed its session, the last of the legislative pe- 

 riod, on May 11. The principal acts of the 

 period were" the nationalization of railroads 

 and the authorization of secondary lines, the 

 lowering of the rate of interest on the con- 

 solidated debt, the land ordinances for Bran- 

 denburg and Silesia, the simplification of t 

 system of local government and the extension 

 of local self-government to Hanover and Hesse- 

 Cassel, an act of the last session, the abolition 

 of the class-tax for the two lowest classes, and 

 the revision of the May laws. The increase of 



